2iS TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



.This account was brought by Sidi Ali el Meyrrioum el 

 Shehrie, which fignifies ' Ali, the ape or monkey, from 

 Sheher.' For though he was a faint, yet being in figure liker 

 to a monkey, they thought it proper to diftinguiih him by 

 that to which he bore the greater! refemblance. 



We were all heartily fick of Coffeir embarkations, but the 

 veflel of Sidi Ali el Mey mourn, tho' fmall, was tight and well- 

 rigged ; had fails of canvas, and had navigated in the In- 

 dian Ocean ; the Rais had four flout men on board, appa- 

 rently good failors ; he himfelf, though near fixty, was a 

 very active, vigorous little man, and to the full as good a 

 failor as he was a faint. It was on the 5th of April, after ha- 

 ving made my laft obfervation of longitude at Coffeir, that 

 I embarked on board this veffel, and failed from that port, 

 It was neceffary to conceal from fome of my fervants our 

 intention of proceeding to the bottom of the Gulf, leaft, 

 finding themfelves among Chrifcians fo near Cairo, they 

 might defert a voyage of which they were fick, before it 

 was well begun. 



For the firfl two days we had hazy weather, with little 

 wind. In the evening, the wind fell calm. We faw a high 

 land to the foufh-weft of us, very rugged and broken, which 

 feemed parallel to the coafc, and higher in the middle than 

 at either end. This, we conceived, was the mountain that 

 divides the coaft of the Red Sea from the cafiern part of the 

 Valley of Fgypt, correfponding to Monfalout and Siour. 

 We brought to, in the night, behind a fmall low Cape, tho' 

 the wind was fair, our Rais being afraid of the Jaffatecn 

 Jilands, which we knew were not far a-head. 



We 



