HOWAKIL. 
^17; 
weather more moderate, with a smooth sea. We found that our dow 
had left us in the night, having probably run in shore for shelter. 
We coasted along, going as near the shore as possible. Captain 
Court was indefatigable in taking bearings. We did not think it 
safe to pass between Pilot's Island and the African shore in the 
dark, and therefore in the evening came to an anchor in ten fathom, 
under shelter of a small island called Adjuice, a little to the north 
of Howakil. There were several fishing boats, and some dows, 
which ran away on our approach. Our pilot seemed well ac- 
quainted with the coast, and was on the whole a much more intelli- 
gent man than the one we had in the Antelope. He expressed great 
astonishment during the day at our knowing the names of the capes 
and islands. The weather was warmer. I had an attack of fever. 
January 4. — In the morning one of the dows came along side. 
They were only fishing, and belonged to the eastern coast of 
Arabia. They said that the island, though inhabited, had no 
water; but that there was some on the main land behind Howakil. 
The former part of this account was certainly true at this time, as 
they begged some water from us, which we willingly gave them ; 
but it is impossible to suppose that this can be always the case, or the 
inhabitants would remove to the main land. Don Juan de Castro, 
who anchored here in 1540, with the Portuguese fleet under Don 
Stefano de Gama, says that there was water on the great island, 
called from its figure Whale Island, by which he undoubtedly 
meant Howakil. They describe the Bay as not deep, nor fit for large 
vessels, having an entrance for dows at the southern extremity. As 
I considered this as probably the Opsian Bay of the Periplus, I had 
given Mr. Maxfield directions to examine it in the Assaye. 
