THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 205 



pearances of the marble mountains upon the coafl. Our 

 vefifel had one fail, like a ftraw mattrefs, made of the leaves 

 of a kind of palm-tree, which they call Doom. It was fixed 

 above, and drew up like a curtain, but did not lower with a 

 yard like a fail ; fo that upon ftrefs of weather, if the fail 

 was furled, it was fo top-heavy, that the fhip muft founder, 

 or the mail be carried away. But, by way of indemnifica- 

 tion, the planks of the vefifel were fewed together, and there 

 was not a nail, nor a piece of iron, in the whole fhip ; fo 

 that, when you flruck upon a rock, feldom any damage en- 

 fued. For my own part, from an abfolute deteftation of her 

 whole conftruction, I inlifled upon keeping clofe along fhore 3 

 at an eafy fail. 



The Continent, to the leeward of us., belonged to our 

 friends the Ababde. There was great plenty of fhell-fifh to 

 be picked up on every fhoal. I had loaded the vefifel with 

 four fkins of frefh water, equal to four hogfheads, with 

 cords, and buoys fixed to the end of each of them, fo that, 

 if we had been fhipwrecked near land, asx rubbing two 

 fhicks together made us fire, I was not afraid of receiving 

 fuccour, before we were driven to the laft extremity, provi- 

 ded we did not perifh in the fea, of which I was not verv 

 apprehenfive. 



On the 15th, about nine o'clock, I faw a large high 

 rock, like a pillar, rifing out of the fea. At firft, I took it 

 for a part of the Continent ; but, as we advanced nearer it, 

 the fun being very clear, and the fea calm, I took an obfer- 

 vation,andasourfituation was lat. 25° 6\ and the ifland a- 

 bout a league diftant, to the S. S. W. of us, I concluded its 

 latitude to be pretty exaclly 25 ° 3' North. This ifland is 



4 . about 



