THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 327 



=*^S&* 



CHAP. XIII. 



Sails for Mafuah — Paffes a Volcano — Comes to Dahalac— Troubled with 

 a Chojl — Arrives at Mafuah. 



AL L being prepared for our departure, we failed from 

 Loheia on the 3d of September 1 769, but the wind 

 failing, we were obliged to warp the veflel out upon her an- 

 chors. The harbour of Loheia, which is by much the largeft. 

 in the Red Sea, is now fo mallow, and choked up, that, 

 unlefs by a narrow canal through which we enter and go 

 out, there is no where three fathom of Avater, and in many 

 places not half that depth. This is the cafe with all the 

 harbours on the eaft-coaft of the Red Sea, while thofe on 

 the weft are deep, without any banks or bars before them, 

 which is probably owing, as I have already faid, to the vio- 

 lence of the north-weft winds, the only conftant ftrong winds 

 to be met with in this Gulf. Thefe occafion ftrong cur- 

 rents to fet in upon the caft-coaft, and heap up the land and. 

 gravel which is blown in from Arabia. 



All next day, the 4th, we were employed at warping out 

 our veiiel againft a contrary wind. The jih, at three quar- 

 ters pail live in the morning, we got under fail with little 



wind- 



