ii o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



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iflands, on the north fide of it. At twelve at night the 

 wind failing, we found ourfelves about a league from the 

 weft end of Jibbel Zekir, but it then began to blow frefh 

 from the weft ; fo that the Rais begged liberty to abandon 

 the voyage to Azab, and to keep our firft intended one to 

 Mocha. For my part, I had no defire at all to land at Mocha. 

 Mr Niebuhr had already been there before us ; and 1 was 

 fure every ufeful observation had been made as to the coun- 

 try, for he had ftaid there a very confiderable time, and was 

 ill ufed. We kept our courfe, however, upon Mocha town. 



The 29th, about two o'clock in the morning, we paned 

 fix iflands, called Jibbel el Ouree ; and having but indiffer- 

 ent wind, we anchored about nine off the point of the fhoal, 

 which lies immediately eaft of the north fort of Mocha. 



The town of Mocha makes an agreeable appearance 

 from the fea» Behind it there is a grove of palm-trees, that 

 do not feem to have the beauty of thofe in Egypt, probably 

 owing to their being expofed to the violent fouth-wefters 

 that blow here, and make it very uneafy riding for veftels ; 

 there is, however, very feldom any damage done. The port 

 is formed by two points of land, which make a femi-circle. 

 Upon each of the points is a fmall fort ; the town is in the 

 middle, and if attacked by an enemy, thefe two forts are fo 

 detached that they might be made of more ufe to annoy the 

 town, than they could ever be to defend the harbour. The 

 ground for anchorage is of the very beft kind, fand without 

 coral, which laft chafes the cables all over the Red Sea. 



On the 30th, at feven o'clock in the morning, with a gen- 

 tle but fteady wind at weft, we failed for the mouth of the 



Indian 



