462 



APPENDIX III. 



soutli, we at noon passed tlie Island of Abdulcuria/ the 

 disjointed rocks of which appeared at a distance like so 

 many separate isles. It extends in a N.W. and I^.E. 

 direction, and bears from the south Cape of Socotra W. 

 by S. 100 miles, and 50 miles W. ^ S. of the Brothers ; 

 the island is an appendage of Socotra, to the chief of 

 which it is subject ; it is said to afford plenty of fresh 

 water.^ Passing this island, the high land on the eastern 

 extremity of the African Continent presented itself to our 

 view, and at 9 p.m. we hove to with the ship's head to the 

 S.E.— Cape Guardafui, bearing W. by JST. J INT., distant 9 

 or 10 leagues. We were still favoured with fine cool 

 weather, the thermometer at 77°, with light winds varying 

 from N.E. to E. and S.E., and the sky generally over- 

 spread with light-coloured clouds : with the excejDtion of 

 the night of the 5th, no dew has fallen since we sailed. 

 Lat. at noon IF 49' N. ; long, by chronometer 52° 13' E., 

 variation by azimuth 5° oV W. ; the position of Abdul- 

 curia according to our observations is in JSTorth lat. 12°, 

 and long. 52' 20' E. 



17th, Thursday. At sunrise made sail again, steering 

 in a S.W. direction along the Continent of Africa 

 in from 35 to 70 fathoms, — white sand and coral ; but about 

 4 P.M. it falling calm, and finding a current setting us in- 

 shore at the rate of half-a-mile an hour, came to in 38 

 fathoms to prevent ourselves being imbayed. At C, a 



' Abd cl Khuri, ' tlie slave of the (married) priest or secular clerr^y- 

 man.' The people of Socotra were once Cliristians all. Others write 

 the name Abd el Kari, or slave of the Koran reader. 



2 On the Island of Abd el Khuri, only 20 leagues west of Socotra, 

 heavy showers begin with February and end with April. Modern 

 travellers declare that there is not a single stream except during the 

 rains, and that the well water is all more or less brackish. 



