^4 
RACKMAH. 
ever I succeeded, I have, to the best of my spelling, preserved them. 
On the northern side were some excellent oysters fastened to the 
rock : their shells were of a fine purple at the edges, and by no 
means inelegant. Soon after it was dark I got to the ship: there 
was a considerable swell, which rendered it by no means pleasant, 
and the wind was right against us. The island we first went to is by 
far the largest in the group, and forms the north-eastern point of the 
bay. It consists of two hills divided by a low sandy plain ; the 
highest is to the N. W. In no part is it more than two miles and a 
half wide. Its latitude 13° 50" N. Long. 42° W" E. To the eastward 
everything is clear, and it maybe approached very close. Mr. Salt 
had, as we perceived from the ship, gone several miles up the gulf 
between Burial Island, and another lying to the northward of it. 
As the wind was right against him, we did not expect him to return 
soon ; but our anxiety was removed by perceiving his boat before it 
was quite dark. He arrived at ten completely fatigued, arid without 
having been much gratified. The river had vanished, though cer- 
tainly in the rainy season torrents had run to the sea, of which he 
perceived visible marks. At present there were only two wells 
about 60 yards from the sea : the water of the nearest was as bad 
as the Mocha water, that of the farthest was better, and in tolerable 
quantity. He met with no village, but saw three men, with a 
numerous troop of camels, and two flocks of sheep : the natives 
were extremely civil, offered him water, and willingly exchanged 
a fine sheep for some tobacco, refusing a dollar that was offered. 
They had driven their animals down to the water, and were return- 
ing to their habitations at some distance in the interior, but they 
objected to the party's going thither. They wore crooked knives, 
