THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



337 



We failed in the night from Zimmer. When we came 

 nearer the channel, the iflands were fewer, and we had ne- 

 ver lefs than twenty-five fathom water. The wind was 

 conftantly to the north and weft, and, during all the heat 

 of the day, N. N. W. At the fame time we had vifibly a 

 ftrong current to the northward. 



The 9th, at fix o'clock in the morning, the ifland Rapha 

 bore N. E. by eaft, diftant about two leagues, and in the 

 fame direction we faw the tops of very high mountains in 

 Arabia Felix, which we imagined to be thofe above Djezan; 

 and though thefe could not be lefs than twenty-fix leagues 

 diflance, yet I diitinguifhed their tops plainly, fome mi- 

 nutes before fun-rife. At noon I obferved our latitude to 

 be 1 6° io' 3" north, lb we had made very little way this day, 

 it being for the moil part calm. Rapha then bore E.| north, 

 diftant thirteen miles, and Doohaarab N. N. W. five miles 

 oft. We continued under fail all the evening, but made 

 little way, and ftill lefs during the night. 



On the 10th, at feven in the morning, I firfl faw Jibbel 

 Teir, till then it had been covered with a mift. I ordered 

 the pilot to bear down directly upon it. All this forenoon 

 our veffel had been furrounded with a prodigious number 

 of fharks. They were of the hammer-headed kind, and 

 two large ones feemed to vie with each other which 

 mould come neareft our veffel. The Rais had fitted a large, 

 harpoon with a long line for the large fifh in the channel, 

 and I went to the boltfprit to wait for one of the marks, 

 after having begged the Rais, firfl to examine if all was tight 

 there, and if the ghofl had done it no harm by fitting fo 

 many nights upon it. He ihook his head, laughing, and 



Vol. I, U u faid 3 



