THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. £11 



The land here, after running from Jibbel Sibcrgct to 

 Macouar, in a direction nearly N. W. and S. E. turns round 

 in fhape of a large promontory, and changes its direction to 

 N. E. and S. W. and ends in a fmall bay or inlet ; fo that, 

 by fanciful people, it has been thought to refemble the nofe 

 of a man, and is called by the Arabs, Ras el Anf, the Cape of 

 the Nofe. The mountains, within land, are of a dufky 

 burnt colour ; broken into points, as if interfered by tor- 

 rents.- 



The coafting vefTels from Mafuah and Suakem which are 

 bound to Jidda, in the ftrength of the Summer monfoon, 

 ftand clofe in more down the coaft of Abyflinia, where they 

 find a gentle fleady eaft wind blowing all night, and a weft 

 wind very often during the day, if they are near enough 

 the more, for which purpofe their vefTels are built. 



Besides this, the violent North-Eafl monfoon raking in 

 the direction of the Gulf, blows the water out of the Straits 

 of Babelmandeb into the Indian Ocean, where, being accu- 

 mulated, it prefles itfelf backwards ; and, unable to find 

 way in the middle of the Channel, creeps up among the 

 mallows on each coaft of the Red Sea. However long the 

 voyage from Mafuah to Jibbel Macouar may feem, yet thefe 

 gentle winds and favourable currents, if I may fo call thofe 

 in the fea, foon ran us down the length of that mountain. 



A large veflel, however, does not dare to try this, whilft 

 conftantly among fhoals, and clofe on a lee-more; but thofe 

 fewed together, and yielding without damage to the ftrefs, 

 Hide over the banks of white coral, and even fometimes the 

 rocks. Arrived at this ifland, they fet their prow towards 



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