68 DESCRIPTION OF ARABIA. 



the gulf during the spawning period, — that is, be* 

 tween the latter end of December and the end of 

 February. The coral banks ai'e less numerous in 

 the southern parts. ^ It deserves notice, that Dr, 

 Shaw and Mr. Bruce have stated, — what could only 

 be true, so far as their own experience went, — that 

 they observed no species of weed or flag ; and the 

 latter proposes to translate Yam Zuph, " the Sea of 

 Coral,'* — a name as appropriate as that of Edom. 



Bab el Mandeb, the narrowest part of the gulf, is 

 the strait at its entrance, which is between twelve 

 and fourteen miles across ; it is divided by the island 

 of Perim, which stands about three miles from the 

 Arabian shore. Strabo relates, that the Egj'ptian 

 merchants who had possession of this sea used to 

 draw a chain across to the African side, to prevent 

 the intrusion of foreignei's ; an assertion which is 

 probably to be classed among the other marvels of 

 the ancients. The high land of Africa and the Peak 

 of Assab are distinctly visible, although the latter is 

 reckoned seventy miles distant from Mocha. This 

 proves that there is a great degree of refraction in 

 the atmosphere. In further confirmation of this 

 fact, Lord Valentia mentions a singular phenomenon 

 which occurred, and Avhich has also been noticed by 

 the ancients. The setting smi had the appearance 

 of a flaming column, having totally lost its usual 

 round form ; a splendid testimony in favour of Aga- 

 tharcides, who also says that it rose like a pillar of 

 fire.* The northern part of the Red Sea separates 

 into the two gulfs of Akaba or Ailah and Suez, 

 called by the Greeks and Romans the Elanitic and 

 Heroopolitan, from the cities that stood at their ex- 

 tremities. The former is dangerous, owing to its 

 shoals and coral rocks ; the common opinion that it 



* Valentia^s Travels, vol. ii. p. 359. " Nee sol ad disci for- 

 mam se habet, sed crassam refert columnam principio." — Hvd' 

 son. Geograph. Minor. Agathar. Diodor. lib. iii. cap. 3. 



