181. 
DESCRIPTIONS PF EGYPT. 
corresponds to the ancient Lepte, we reach the 
Sinus Immundus of the ancients, an extensive 
bay marked with shoals and breakers, which, 
in our modern charts, still retains the appella- 
tion of Foul Bay. In the bottom of this bay 
is a small creek, denominated Mine or Belled-el- 
Habesh, which is supposed to correspond with the 
ancient Berenice. It is situated in N. L. ^3° 
extending more than a degree beyond the parallel 
of Syene, in which Berenice is placed by the an- 
cients ; but from the inaccuracy of their astrono- 
mical calculations, it is sometimes better to trust 
their itineraries and remarks on the curvature of 
a coast than their celestial observations. The 
port of Habesh is marked by sniall rocky islands, 
but these have been too inaccurately observed for 
determining the positions of the ancients to which 
they correspond. The ancients mention a Sapph- 
ire, a Topaz, and an Emerald Isle in the Red 
Sea, but seem to differ from each other concern- 
ing their position. Berenice was built by Ptole- 
my Philadelphus, a little after the establishment 
of Myos Hormus. Situated in a lower part of the 
Arabian Gulf, it facilitated navigation, by render- 
ing it practicable to mariners to take advantage 
of the regular winds. The inland route between 
Coptos and Berenice was opened with an army 
by the same prince, who established stations along 
