3 6o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



fome of them near the furface, though the breakers do not 

 appear upon them, partly owing to the waves being ftea- 

 died by the violence of the current, and fomewhat kept off 

 by the ifland. This dangerous error is, probably, owing to 

 the draughts being compofed from different journals, where 

 the pilot has had different ways of meaiuring his diftance ; 

 fome ufmg forty-two feet to a thirty- fecond glafs, and fome 

 twenty-eight, both of them being confidered as one com- 

 petent divifion of a degree ; the diflances are all too ihort, 

 and the foundings, and every tiling elfe, coiifequently out 

 of their places.. 



Whoever has to navigate in the Abymnian fide of the 

 channel, will do well to pafs the ifland Dahalac on the eaft 

 fide, or, at leaft, not approach the outmofl iiland, Wowcan, 

 nearer than ten leagues ; but, keeping about twelve leagues 

 meridian diftance weft of Jibbel Teir, or near mid-channel 

 between that and the ifland, they will then be out of dan- 

 ger; being between lat. 15 20' and i5°4o', which laft is the 

 latitude, as I obferved, of Saiel Noora, and which is the 

 northern ifland, we faw, three leagues off Ras Antalou, the 

 northmoft cape of Dahalac. 



Both at our entering into the port of Dobelew on the 

 54th, and our going out of it on the 17th, we found a tide 

 running like a fluice, which we apprehended, in fpite of 

 our fails being full, would force us out of our courfe upon 

 the rocks. I imagine it was inert at its greateft ftrcngth, it 

 now being near the equinoctial full moon. The channel be- 

 tweenTerra Firm a and the iiland being very narrow, and the 

 influence of the fun and moon then nearly in the equator, 



had 



