288 PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1772. 



discernible at a distance of 4 leagues. The n. end of the large island Jebbel- 

 Zeker lies in the latitude of 14° lO' n. The true course from Jebbel-Zeker to 

 the Subugars is n.w. by n. ; distance 20 leagues, n. e. of those islands lies a 

 low white island, which he called Sandy Island, environed all round with shoal 

 water ; to the southward of which, the shoal seemed, from the mast-head, to 

 extend from the island 3 or 4 miles. He passed it at about 6 miles distance, 

 and never had less than 26 fathom, sandy ground. Two or 3 miles within him 

 appeared like very shoal water. Its latitude is 15° 22' jsr. 



About 40 miles n.n.e. from the Subugars, lies the island Comoran, a very low 

 blackish island, n. w. by n. by the compass, from the Subugars, lies the island 

 Jebbel-Tar, distance about 25 miles. This island is of a moderate height, and 

 may be seen 9 or 10 leagues from the mast-head in clear weather; its latitude is 

 about 15° 36' N. and when it bore w. about 10 miles, he had 33 fathom water, 

 a sandy bottom. From Jebbel-Tar to the small islands on the Arabian side, laid 

 down in about 18° n. latitude, he made the course n. 22" 49', w. distance 159 

 miles. The southernmost of these islands lies in the latitude of 18° 2' n. 



Should you not be so fortunate as to get a pilot before you come near Judda, 

 it would be most certainly prudent to keep 30 or 40 miles from the shore, at 

 least so far that you can but just discern the high land of Goofs and Gedan, at 

 which distance there is no danger. Though this may appear a great distance 

 for the pilots to come off to the ship, yet they will immediately do it as soon as 

 they hear your gun, and not till then. It is indeed amazing, and almost in- 

 credible to be told, how far these pilots will hear the guns on a still morning or 

 evening, which are the proper times for the guns to be fired. Observe to fire 

 the first as soon as you see the sun appear in the horizon, and the second as soon 

 as the lower limb is just out of the water ; in the evening, the first as soon as 

 the lower limb touches the water, and the second when the upper limb is below 

 the horizon. Four firings in one day is all that are necessary ; but they are to 

 be repeated every day till you get a pilot. They know pretty near the time the 

 India ships will arrive, and go down to the water side every night and morning, 

 and just as the sun is rising or setting, they lay their ear close to the ground for 

 3 or 4 minutes, and pretend to say, that if a ship is not more than 2 or 24- de- 

 grees distance when the gun is fired, they can either hear the report, or find the 

 ground shake under them ; on which they take a boat and come oft' to pilot you 

 in. This may seem a little extraordinary to a person that never was there ; but, 

 however strange it may appear, Capt. N. was assured by a gentleman of un- 

 doubted veracity, that he ran by the log 95 miles, from the time of firing his 2 

 guns in the morning, till he saw the pilot in the evening ; and when he came on 

 board, he declared that he heard the two guns that morning at sun-rising, on 

 the strength of which, he took his boat and put ofF. 



