169 
some channels about fifty or sixty feet broad. At six 
o'clock in the morning, the ship struck several times 
upon a rock. Happily the wind was not very strong, 
and our progress was slow. 
We were always two or three miles from the shore, 
but the surface of the sea appeared to be covered with 
banks and rocks. 
Our latitude at noon was 23° 21' 44" north, and we 
had Cape Ras Abiad upon the Arabian coast at ten 
miles distance to the S. S. E. 
We continued our course to the north-west with a 
fine west wind, and after having crossed the tropic off 
Algiar, we anchored between the shoals a little before 
four o'clock. 
We witnessed at noon the singular spectacle of fish 
fighting. The sea was very calm, when on a sudden an 
ebullition as it were of the water took place, in a circu- 
lar space of twenty feet diameter, accompanied with 
much noise and froth, which lasted half a minute, when 
the sea became calm again. A few minutes afterwards, 
the same scene recommenced. Outside the great circle, 
I remarked during the motion of the water, a number 
of points which indicated partial battles. The bubbling 
up of the water extended to a great distance from the 
place of the fight. 
The ship passed the border of the circle at the mo- 
ment of attack. Unhappily for me it was noon, and I 
was occupied in observing the sun's passage; when 
balancing between the two objects, I gave the prefer- 
ence to astronomy, and thus lost the opportunity of 
remarking the warlike system of the finny tribe. I learn- 
ed, however, from my companions, that they saw an 
immense number of fish about a foot long, fight to- 
gether. 
Vol. II. Y 
