BOTHER'EM BAY 
his anchor had been down not more than a quarter of an hour, yet 
it was nearly worn through by the rocks, while we were in strong 
clay. We now determined to send the boats to examine the pas- 
sage to windward : Mr. Hardy went in the cutter, Mr. Maxfield in 
the dow. When they returned, their reports were rather favour- 
able; but as they penetrated only about five miles to windward, 
and the pilots were positive they could not take the vessel through, 
with the wind that now blew, and as they said it might continue 
these twenty days, we were for some time uncertain how to act. 
We were unwilling to return to Ras Howie, and beat round the 
outside of the shoals, as we should leave it undecided whether a 
passage existed within them or not ; yet to stay here was impracti- 
cable, as we were pressed for time, and had only twenty days water 
on board. At length Mr. Hardy proposed that he should go off 
wdth the dow and cutter, and ascertain the passage the whole way 
to Suakin. This was approved, and we beat up to the windward 
extremity of the land-locked harbour, in which we were lying, and 
which, had it proper and safe entrances, would be one of the finest 
in the world, being in size about six miles everyway, with generally 
ten fathom, and a good bottom. The passage is, however, unfortu- 
nately so complicated, and the sand islands are so alike, that no 
ship could venture through it without a pilot. We passed right 
over one shoal not many yards wide, on which there was only three 
fathom, and another of the same size, which had five. The sea was 
as smooth as glass, and the weather fine with us ; but it rained 
hard over the lofty mountains of Africa, which, according to Mr. 
Bruce and D'Anville are of porphyry. I do not know what autho- 
rity either had for the assertion. 
