200 
belong to the Coast of Africa, as is indicated in the 
maps, but to the land of Tor; and adhere to Cape Mo- . 
hamed in Arabia. An error so serious as to make me 
lose all confidence in the maps of the country, which I 
had with me. 
The isle of Scharm where we had anchored, having 
Cape Ras Aboumohamed on the east, is situated at the 
mouth of the Bahar el Aakab or arm of the Red Sea, 
which extends into Arabia. The isle, composed of hills, 
Is inhabited by a few poor people. 
Monday, \lth May. 
We weighed anchor at one in the morning. During 
the operation a dao ran foul of us, and struck our poop, 
breaking and carrying away the whole of the upper 
part, happily the lower part remained unhurt. We ar- 
ranged things as well as we could, and sailed to the 
westward. A terrible storm arose soon afterwards; the 
sea became boisterous, and our situation uncomfortable 
on board a ship without any covering, in a very dark 
night, at a great distance from land; for we were still 
traversing the Bahar el Aakaba. 
The day at length appeared, but the atmosphere and 
sea continued strongly agitated. At nine in the morning 
we were in front of the Cape Ras Aboumohamed, 
which separates the Bahar el Aakaba, from the Bahar 
as Suez, or the arm of the sea that runs to Suez. We 
doubled the Cape, but at a distance of only thirty feet; 
immediately after which we kept out to sea, nearing to 
the S. W. to double the shoals that surround it on this 
side; but the great waves which rose above the prow- 
inundated the ship, and had no pump. We were obli- 
ged to bale out the water with buckets, which were 
passed from hand to hand. These means were not suf- 
