44a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



•junks, indeed, were light and convenient boats, made to 

 crofs the narrow gulf between the Sabeans and Homerites, 

 •or Cufhites, at Azab upon the Red Sea, and carry provilions 

 from Arabia Felix to the more defert coaft of Azab. I have 

 hinted, that the names of places fufficiently demonflrate 

 the great lofs of men that happened to the traders to Sofala 

 before the knowledge of the monfoons, and the introduc- 

 tion of the ufe of fails. 



I shall now confider how far the thing is confirmed by 

 the names of places in the language of the country, fuch 

 as they have retained amori'g them to the prefent day. 



There are three Mochas mentioned in this voyage, fitu- 

 ated in countries very diffimilar to, and diftant from, each 

 other. The firft is in Arabia Deferta, in lat. 36 nearly, not 

 far from the bottom of the Gulf of Suez. The fecond is in 

 lat. 1 3 , a fmall diflance from the Straits of Babelmandeb, 

 The third Mocha is in lat. 3 fouth, near Tarmifli, on the coaft 

 of Melinda. Now, the meaning of Mocha, in the Ethiopic, 

 is prifon ; and is particularly given to thefe three places, be- 

 caufe, in any of them, a fhip is forced to Hay or be detain- 

 ed for months, till the changing of the monfoon fets her 

 at liberty to purfuc her voyage. At Mocha, near the bottom 

 of the Gulf of Suez, a veflcl, wanting to proceed fouthward 

 to Babelmandebj is kept here in prifon all winter, till the 

 fummer monfoon fets her at liberty. At Mocha, in Arabia 

 Felix, the fame happens to any vefTel wanting to proceed 

 to Suez in the fummer months ; flic may come up from 

 the Straits of Babelmandeb to Mocha Read by the acciden- 

 tal direction of the head of the Gulf; but, in the month of 

 May, the ncrtii-wcfl wind obliges her to put into Mocha, 



2 and 



