16 
MOCHA. 
request of the Bombay government, he had directed her to proceed 
to Mocha, to convoy to India the trade from that place. The 
breeze continued extremely fresh, as we sailed along the Arabian 
shore: the coast itself is low land, but the chain of mountains was 
seen, though with difficulty, from the haze, extending N. at about 
thirty miles from the shore. At ten, Mocha was visible : we were 
obliged to keep out, to avoid a dangerous shoal, till the great 
mosque bore E. by S. when we stood right in for the town. We 
anchored at a distance of about four miles, in little more than four 
fathoms. The wind was very fresh, and the swell, though broken 
by the shoal, was considerable. We saluted the town with three 
guns, which were answered by one. The Fox soon afterwards came 
in, and anchored about a mile to the N. W. ; she could not get more 
to the S. on account of the wind. A fishing boat came off with fish ; 
it was small and narrow, and the people nearly naked ; the sail was 
cloth, and held by the hand. It went with great velocity, and very 
close to the wind. The fish was excellent. 
Captain Keys wrote to Mr. Pringle, acting Agent to the East 
India Company, to inform him of my arrival. Mr. Pringle came off, 
while we were at dinner, to invite me to the Factory. He told me 
that he had notified my arrival to the Dola, or Governor, and had 
enquired, in case I visited him, how he would receive me. To this 
he answered, that he was not well, and would not move from his 
seat. Mr. Pringle added, that as the meeting him at the door had 
been insisted on by General Baird, and had been complied with, he 
could, on no account, advise me to visit him in any other manner. 
I assured him that I should be entirely guided by him, as my only 
wish was to act in the manner that would be most conducive to the 
