33 o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



on the north is a black hill or cape of no confiderable 

 height, that may be feen at four leagues off. It has two 

 watering-places ; one on the eaft of the iiland, where we 

 now were, the other on the weft. The water there is bitter, 

 but it had been troubled by a number of little barks, that 

 had been taking in water jufl before us. The manner of 

 filling their goat fkins being a very flovenly one, they take 

 up much of the mud along with it, but we found the water 

 excellent, after it had fettled two or three days ; when it 

 came on board, it was as black as ink. It was incompara- 

 bly the bell water we had drank fmce that of the Nile. . 



This ifland is covered with a kind of bent grafs, which 

 want of rain, and the conftant feeding of the few goats that 

 are kept here, prevent from growing to any height. The 

 end of the ifland, near the north cape, founds very hollow, 

 underneath, like Solfaterra, near Naples ; and as quantities of 

 pumice Hones are found here, there is great appearance that: 

 the black hill was once a volcano* Several large ihells 

 from the fifh. called Bifler, fome of then! twenty inches 

 long,, are feen turned upon their faces, on the furface of 

 large ftones, of ten or twelve ton weight. Thefe Ihells are 

 funk into the ftones, as if they were into pafte, and the 

 Hone raifed round about, £o as to conceal the edge of the 

 fhell ; a proof that this ftone has, fome time lately, been foft 

 or liquified. For, had it been long ago, the weather- and! 

 fun would have worn the furface of the ihell, but it feems 

 perfectly entire, and is fct in that hard brown rock, as the. 

 ftone of a ring is in a golden chafing. 



The inhabitants of Foofht are poor fifhermen, of the fame 

 degree of blaeknefs as thofe between Heli and Djezan ; like 



them 



