Somalis, Jews and overland passengers at Aden, Yemen

In 1868, Simpson was sent by the Illustrated London News to report on the Abyssinian Expedition. He travelled via Suez and Aden to Zoula, the gathering point for those bound for the Expedition. In Picturesque People, for which this illustration seems to have been expressly drawn, Simpson describes the variety of peoples to be found at Aden. He was most fascinated by the Somalis: 'The men have a curious custom of dyeing their hair of a bright orange-colour. This is done by putting a preparation of mud or some kind of lime upon it, and in this state they have to go about with it for days: as they wear rather long hair, it requires a pretty large quantity of the preparation... Apollo himself could not have had in his 'golden locks' a more flaming appearance.'