AMPHILA. 
^7 
low shrub and herbaceous plants, among which was the Portulaca 
officinalis in abundance. They saw several snakes, which the Abys- 
sinians wanted to catch. The dow's people brought me several 
shells of the same kind as I had procured at Mocha. The pilot boat 
did not return all night. We saw a dow round the island, and enter 
the strait beyond the point. The night was rather cooler. 
After we had weighed anchor on the 16th, the pilot arrived, and 
brought us some sheep. He asserted this to be a place of some trade, 
which was confirmed by the appearance of several dows. We kept 
without all the five Amphila islands, which were equally flat and 
sandy, raised only about ten feet above the water, and without a 
single tree on them. The shore stretches out rapidly to the west- 
ward, is low, but backed by lofty hills, of whimsical forms. Some 
high trees grew on the water's edge. As we coasted along, by the 
assistance of a kind of sea breeze, it was extremely pleasant. At 
twelve our lat. was 14° long. 40°58'' 45'. We passed Ras Ratta, 
which is a very conspicuous piece of land, and of a singular form. 
We find all the charts of the coast extremely incorrect. At three 
or four leagues distance, when you are without every island, it is 
impossible to have a coast more free from every danger. This day 
we had from about ten to fourteen fathom. Late in the evening 
we passed two remarkable head-lands, which extend considerably 
from the shore, and which I conceived were islands. Several 
rocks were between them, and the usual line of the main : the 
pilot called them Ras Sarbo and Ras Rorah. A lofty island ahead 
appeared faintly at sun set. The pilot cast anchor off an island 
which lay in the bay formed by the head land. It was low, and 
perfectly flat. The soundings were unequal, from sixteen fathom 
VOL. II. f: 
