OF THE NAME OF ADAL. 11 



prosecuting my determination of travelling in 

 Africa. 



Feb. 26. — After a detention of four days at Ta- 

 jourah, we weighed anchor, and proceeded on our 

 voyage back to Aden; the wind, however, being 

 contrary and very light, we did not reach Back Bay 

 until the 1st of March, during which time I amused 

 myself on board comparing the present condition 

 of the coast of that part of Africa we had just 

 visited, with some notes I had collected respecting 

 the ancient geography, as contained in the Periplus 

 of Arrian, and other works of the same character I 

 had read. 



The present name among the Arabs of the oppo- 

 site coast of the country in which Tajourah is 

 situated is Burr Adgem, "the land of fire;" and it 

 must be observed, that this is also the Arab desig- 

 nation of the present kingdom of Persia ; a signifi- 

 cant name, acknowledged to be, and is evidently 

 derived from the volcanic character of both these 

 districts. The Burr Adgem, on the south of the Red 

 Sea, is of indefinite extent, but may be considered 

 as applied to the country reaching from Suakin in 

 the north, to Mogadishe in the south, and as far 

 west as the high lands of Abyssinia. 



Among the ancients, this country was known as 

 that of the Avalites ; in which word may perhaps be 

 recognised, ArTah, the present native name of the 

 Dankalli tribes, living on the western coast of the 

 Red Sea, but which formerly had a far more 



