Perim

Perim, a barren island, and coaling and telegraph station, belonging to Britain, situated in the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, 97 miles W. of Aden, $1\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ from the Arabian shore, and 9 from the African. It is about $3\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ miles long by $2\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ wide, and crescent shaped, the two horns embracing a deep and spacious harbour. The island was held by the British in 1799-1800, and was again occupied in 1857. In 1883 it was made a coaling station, and soon began to be a rival to Aden. The island is under the jurisdiction of the governor of Bombay Presidency. Pop. about 400, mostly coolie coalheavers. See H. Spalding, Perim as it is (1890).