11 



INTRODUCTION. 



from the ports of the Red Sea, directed 

 their courfe, for the moft part, to the gulf 

 of Perfia ; but it was not uacommon to fee 

 them- ftretch along the coafts of Abyflinia, 

 and, without lofing fight of land, enter the 

 channel of Mozambique* In this channel 

 they traded alternately with the inhabitantg 

 of the coaft of Africa, and the iflanders of 

 Madagafcar* 



The ports which they principally fre- 

 quented wtiQ Querimbe and Mozambique 

 pn the African coaft, and Vingara and 

 Bombetoc in Madagafcar. 



The Afiatics, notwithftanding the imper- 

 fedioa of their charts, and the extreme ig- 

 norance of their pilots, often engaged in the 

 boldeft enterprifes. They not only vifited 

 the coafts of Malabar, but they even ven- 

 tured to lofe fight of land. They launched 

 forth into the open ocean, and, after traverf- 



