AT SEA. 
501 
It very often extends beyond this along t lie Arabian shore into 
the Red Sea, as before observed, (vide p. 100; ) but oo the African 
side it appears to form a complete eddy, which in ali probabib'ty 
is occasioned by the curving shape of the two coasts, influenced 
by the Promontory of Babelmandeb, and the high land on the 
African continent to the northward of Zeyla. 
At ten the next morning, to our great surprise, though the 
weather was hazy, a lofty range of land was discovered on our 
starboard beam ; the southern extreme bearing S. S. E. and the 
western S. by W., distant about five leagues (vide sketch of 
Abdelcuria in the chart ;) and at eleven A. M. we saw a white 
rock on our lee-bow, bearing NE, by E., distant four miles, 
being at noon, when the weather cleared, in latitude 12° 20' 0" N, 
At this time, from the general appearance of the land, which 
was extensive and mountainous, we concluded that we were 
passing the Island of Socotra, to which we supposed that we 
must have been carried by an extraordinary current, said to 
prevail in this part of the sea, as, owing to the erroneous 
manner in which the Island of Abdelcuria is laid down in 
modern charts, (appearing to be little more than a rock), we did 
not entertain a suspicion that it could possibly prove to be that 
island. Under this impression the Captain proceeded to steer 
about east south-east, resting confidently assured that we had 
before us a clear sea. The strong south-westerly gales still pre- 
vailed, and the vessel shipped several heavy seas ; at midnight, 
the wind blowing excessively hard split the fore-top-mast stay- 
sail, and the sea continued to run very cross. 
At half past five in the morning, an appearance resembling that 
