THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 311 



Indian Ocean. Our Rais became more lively and bolder as 

 he approached his own coaft, and offered to carry me for 

 nothing, if I would go home with him to Sheher, but I had 

 already enough upon my hand. It is, however, a voyage 

 fome man of knowledge and enterprife mould attempt, as the 

 country and the manners of the people are very little known. 

 But this far is certain, that there all the precious gums 

 grow ; all the drugs of the galenical fchool, the frankincenfe, 

 myrrh, benjoin, dragons-blood, and a multitude of others, 

 the natural hiftory of which no one has yet given us. 



The coaft of Arabia, all along from Mocha to the Straits, 

 is a bold coaft, clofe to which you may run without danger 

 night or day. We continued our courfe within a mile of 

 the more, where in fome places there appeared to be fmall 

 woods, in others a flat bare country, bounded with moun- 

 tains at a confiderable diftance. Our wind frefhened as we 

 advanced. About four in the afternoon we faw the moun- 

 tain which forms one of the Capes of the Straits of Babcl- 

 mandcb, in fhape refembling a gunner's quoin. About fix 

 o'clock, for what reafon I did not know, our Rais infill- 

 ed upon anchoring for the night behind a fmall point. I . 

 thought, at firft, it had been for pilots, .. 



The 31ft, at nine in the morning, wexame to-an anchor r 

 above Jibbel Raban, or Pilots Ifland, jufl under the Cape 

 which, on the Arabian fide, forms the north entrance of the 

 Straits. We now faw a fmall veilel enter a round harbour, 

 divided from us by the Cape. The Rais faid he had a de- 

 iign to have anchored there laft night; but as it was trouble- 

 ibme to get out in the morning by the wefterly wind, 

 he intended to run over to Perim ifland to pafs the night, 



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