ADEN, 99 
wliicli invariably blew from the north-east, until the second of 
October, when we quitted the land, and steered directly over to 
the x4rabian coast. The thermometer kept up at 88°, but we found 
the air much cooler after we had got into the open channel. 
On the 3d of October in the morning we came in sight of the 
rugged mountains of Aden, and at two in the afternoon arrived 
abreast of the town. On our firing a gun^ a boat came off with 
three native fishermen, by whom we were advised to carry the 
vessel into Back Bay, as the roads in front of the town were con- 
sidered unsafe at this season of the year. Captain Weatherhead 
complied with this advice, and soon brought the ship to an anchor 
behind the rock, in an excellent situation, in four fathoms water 
with good holding ground. 
From the observations made in the course of this voyage up 
the coast of Africa, it appears that no natural obstacles exist to 
have prevented early navigators from making a direct voyage 
from Sofala to the Red Sea. I shall not attempt at any length 
to discuss the question^ whether Sofala corresponds to the 
Ophir of the Hebrews, as I am of opinion that the Old Tes- 
tament does not supply sufficient data to enable any one to 
decide upon the matter, and I shall therefore content myself with 
merely pointing out the extreme inaccuracy of the statements on 
which a late celebrated author, Mr. Bruce, has founded his 
theory on the subject. The principal argument on which he 
seems to rely depends on the time of the going and coming of 
the fleet,"' which, as he expresses it, was precisely three years, at 
no period more nor less,'' and that from this circumstance^ it 
could not have been done with variable winds, but must have 
o 
