vSALAKA. 
32,1 
stated by D'Anville to be in ^0*32', though its real latitude is ^0° 1 1'; 
a greater mistake than he has yet made, and for which he cannot 
blame the original Portuguese authors, who have not given its lati- 
tude, but only mentioned its distance from Suakin. Beyond was a lofty 
mountain which we named Tridactylos, from having at first mistaken 
it for the Pentadactylos of Pliny : hitherto, however, only three 
peaks had appeared. It continued calm till two, when a light 
breeze sprung up from the southward of east. We experienced, 
during the calm, a current against us, of about a mile an hour ; the 
breeze gradually freshened, and came round to the southward. The 
passage continued narrow, and very dangerous, from the numerous 
shoals. We had once soundings in ten fathom, mud, with the shoals 
so narrow and close, that we clewed up to let go our anchor ; but 
the pilot persuaded us to go on for the anchorage of Salaka, which 
we reached by five, after passing a bar of rocks in 2^ fathom, with 
lesson either side. When in, we had ten fathom mud, but not suffi- 
cient room to swing with safety. The anchorage was open to the 
southward, but protected by a spit of low sand on the other sides. 
It was far more dangerous than Lent Bay ; but we had no remedy. 
It blew fresh, with a little rain in the evening from the south. 
March 16. — In the night it blew a gale from the south for a short 
time, and obliged us to let go our sheet anchor. Towards morning 
the wind came round to the west of south, and we hove up two 
anchors ; but before we could get out, the wind came round to the 
S. E. and prevented our moving. It was so truly vexatious to see 
four dows sail by us about eleven, with a fair wind, while we were 
fast in a pound, that in a splenetic fit I gave it the name of Mouse- 
trap Bay. Salaka lies in lat. ^0** ^8', which differs from D'Anville 
