Hiswah

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Hiswah, an area of about four by two miles, is located on the northern shore of the current harbour where the Wadi al Kabir discharges into the sea.

 

When rain fell on the mountains inland al-Wadi al Kabir (the Great Valley), a branch if the Tiban River, flowed through the Lahej plain and into the sea at Aden Harbour. Hiswah itself became saturated and water was easily procured by digging to a depth of 6-16 feet. Four wells were dug and water was taken into the settlement either in boats to the southern side of the harbour or on camels across the isthmus.

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In 1850 it was decided to supply shipping with water from al Hiswah but the Hiswah wells turned out to be as unreliable as those in Aden.

 

In 1854 Sir James Outram suggested the establishment of a garden for supplying not only the garrison but perhaps the civil population with vegetables, not only for comfort but as a preventive against scurvy. Two gardeners were employed, were provided with seeds, and the garden subsisted with lacklustre results for a few years. In 1863 Colonel Merewether took on the task of reviving the Hiswah garden but it still ran at a financial loss, producing a mere 6,200lbs of vegetables a year. 

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In 1865 a Persian wheel* was erected for irrigation and a fort to protect the valuable produce. In this year the garden produced a commendable 14,095 lbs of vegetables. However, despite the production of 37,182 lbs of vegetables in 1866 from both Hiswah and a new garden at Lahej the continuation of Hiswah as a garden was not considered viable and it was abandoned.

In later years the Hiswah area was to become the location of radar transmitting stations.

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*  A Persian wheel or 'harat' is a system of a chain of buckets slung round a vertical wheel which is turned by a system of cogs and interlocking wheels powered usually by a camel driven in a circle.