APPENDIX III. 



4G7 



still easterly witli warm weather. The thermometer at 

 79J^ Lat. 5« 37' N. ; long, by lunar at 8 p.m. 49« 20' E. ; 

 variation per amplitude S'^ 40' W. 



28th, Monday. Passed the elevated land seen yester- 

 day afternoon, and at 2 p.m. Cape Bassas was abreast of 

 us, distant a few miles. The real situation of this cape we 

 had difficulty to determine, for the land along, low and 

 smooth, had so much sameness in appearance, and that 

 forming the cape itself so little remarkable from the rest, 

 that had we not observed the coast to recede considerably 

 on each side, making opposite to us an evident projection 

 or headland, we should still have remained in great un- 

 certainty respecting it. At 5 or 6 miles' distance from 

 the shore struck soundings in 19 fathoms, hard ground, and 

 we had still a strong current in our favour, but we observed 

 little or no rippling about the ship. The position of the 

 cape (Note 3) according to the mean of several good ob- 

 servations is in !N". lat. 4^ 44', and long. 48° 17' E., variation 

 per azimuth 9° 7' W. After ascertaining the situation of 

 this cape ^ we stood to windward during the night. To-day 

 the weather continued fine with a moderate easterly wind, 

 the thermometer at 78^. Lat. observed at noon 4° 59' IN". 



29th, Tuesday. Stood in again and steered along the 

 coast to the southward of Cape Bassas at the distance of 

 three miles in from 10 to 20 fathoms sand and shells. 

 The land here was white and sandy, but in several places 

 there was apparently tolerable pasturage ground, on which 

 were seen several small groups of huts and some pretty 

 numerous herds of cattle. By the number of people ob- 

 served on these spots this tract seemed better frequented ; 

 but its general appearance was similar with that to the 

 * Ra'as Aswad in N. lat. 4" 44' 5" (Rapcr). 



