24a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



" Why did you not tell me, faid I, when I hired you, .that -ail 

 the rocks in the fea would get out of the way or" your vef- 

 fel ? This ill-mannered fellow here did not know bis duly, 

 he was fleeping I fuppofe, and has given us a hearty jolt, 

 and I was abufing him for it, till you mould chaftife him 

 fome other way." He fhook his head, and faid, " Well ! 

 you do not believe, but God knows the truth ; well now 

 where is the rock ? Why he is gone." However, very pru- 

 dently, he anchored foon afterwards, though we had recei- 

 ved no damage. 



At night, by an obfervation of two fears in the meridian, 

 I concluded the latitude of Cape Mahomet to be if 54', N. 

 It muft be underftood of the mountain, or high land, which 

 forms the Cape, not the low point. The ridge of rocks 

 that run along behind Tor, bound that low fandy country, 

 called the Defert of Sin, to the eaftward, and end in this 

 Cape, which is the high land obferved at fea ; but the 

 lower part, or fouthermoft extreme of the Cape, runs a-i 

 bout three leagues off from the high land, and is fo low, 

 that it cannot be feen from deck above three leagues. It. 

 was called, by the ancients, Pharan Promontorium ; not be- 

 caufe there was a light-houfe * upon the end of it, (though: 

 this may have perhaps been the cafe, and a very neceffary and. 

 proper fituation it is) but from the Egyptian and Arabic word 

 Farek t, which fignifies to divide, as heingthe point, or high 

 land that divides the Gulf of Suez from the Eianitic Gulf. 



I WENT 



* Anciently called Pharos. 



■j-The Koran is, therefore, called El F.idan, or die Divider,, or DHtinguifli a truO 



faith and herefy. 



