AFRICAN ISLANDS. 



OF the African islands, some lie in the Eastern or Indian Ocean, 

 and some in the Western, or Atlantic. We shall begin with those in 

 the Indian Ocean ; the chief of which are, Zocotra, Babelmandel, 

 Madagascar, the Comora islands, Bourbon, and Mauritius. 



ZOCOTRA. This island is situated in east long. 55°: north lat. 

 12°, thirty leagues east of Cape Guardafui, on the continent of Afri- 

 ca ; it is eighty miles long, and fifty-four broad, and has two good 

 harbours, where the European ships used formerly to put in when 

 they lost their passage to India. It is a populous, plentiful country, 

 yielding most of" the fruits and plants that are usually found within the 

 tropics, together with frankincense, gum-tragacanth, and aloes. The 

 inhabitants are Mahommedans of Arab extraction, and are under the 

 government of a prince, or sheik who is probably tributary to the 

 Porte. 



BABELMANDEL. The island of Babelmandel gives name to the 

 strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, where it is situate in east long. 

 44°. 30'. north lat. 12° ; about four miles both from the Arabian and 

 Abyssinian shores. The Abyssinians, or Ethiopians, and the Arabi- 

 ans, formerly contended with great fury for the possession of this 

 island, as it commands the entrance into the Red Sea, and preserves 

 a communication with the ocean. This strait was formerly the only 

 passage through which the commodities of India found their way to 

 Europe ; but since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, the trade 

 by the Red Sea is of little importance. The island is of little value, 

 being a barren sandy spot of earth, not five miles round. 



COMORA. These islands are five; Joanna, Mayotta, Mohilla, 

 Angazei, and Comora, situate between 41° and 46° east long, and be- 

 tween 10° and 14° south lat. at an equal distance from Madagascar 

 and the continent of Africa. Joanna, or Hinzuan, the chief, and which 

 exacts tribute from the others, is about thirty miles long and fifteen 

 broad, and affords plenty of provisions, and such fruits as are pro- 

 duced between the tropics. East India ships, bound to Bombay, usu- 

 ally touch here for refreshments. The inhabitants are negroes, of the 

 Mahommedan religion, and entertain our seamen with great hu- 

 manity. 



MADAGASCAR. This is the largest of the African islands, and 

 is situate between 43 and 5 1° east long, and between 12 and 26° south 

 lat. 300^ miles south-east of the continent of Africa; it being nearly 

 1000 miles in length from north to south, and generally between 200 

 and 300 miles broad. The sea rolls with great rapidity, and is ex- 

 tremely rough, between this island and the continent of the Cape of 

 Good Hope, forming a channel or passage, through which all Euro- 

 pean ship3 in their voyage to and from India generally sail, .unless 

 prevented by storm", 



VOL.11, Ee 



