194 
ISLAND OF BUCKAH. 
The Hieotion of the opsian stone and bay in the Periplus is as. 
•follows: " About eight hundred stadia (from Adoole) is another 
very deep bay, where at the entrance on the right lies a great 
accumnlation of sand, at the bottom of which is found the opsian 
stone, produced only in that single spot/^* These eight hun- 
dred stadia, if Roman, would exceed the actual distance from 
Adoole ; and this circumstance appears to confirm Lord Yaientia's 
conjecture, that the Egyptian stadia were those employed by the 
author of that work^ which was likely to have been the case, were 
it written, as is supposed, by an Alexandrian merchant. In the 
evening we returned on board the Marian. 
On the 30th, the Captain and myself, for the purpose of com- 
pleting our survey, went in a boat to the Island of Buckah, 
passing round the western side of Howakil, in the track marked 
in the chart. On our way we noticed a fine bason, with four and 
five fathoms water, but to which unfortunately we could not dis- 
cover any entrance for a ship. Soon after we crossed a well- 
sheltered harbour, with four, five, and six fathoms, which bore the 
appearance, from the imperfect examination we were able to give 
it, of being the most secure place for anchorage in the whole Bay* 
The entrance, so* far as we could examine it, seemed to be perfectly 
safe and easy of access, but it should not be attempted by a large 
vessel without a more accurate knowledge of the soundings than 
it was in our power, from the shortness of our stay, to obtain. 
On the top of the high land of Buckah, which forms almost a 
* K«t aTTO g-aS/fov was) OKTOtKoa-laov KoXyrog srsgog ^u^urctro;, o5 jcara r^v elcr^oAiJv Iv h^ioig 
