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besides, the strongest currents in this sea set generally 
towards the south-east, that is to say, towards its mouth 
at Babelmandel. To these causes may be added, the 
difference of the force of planetary attraction in conse- 
quence of the movement of the axis of the ecliptic, and 
the situation of the orbit of the earth, which is in its 
perihelium at the winter solstice, and ought to produce 
an accumulation of water in certain places. In short, 
there are a number of circumstances which must be 
taken into account in the solution of this problem, and 
which I shall try to discuss in another place. The Arabs 
keep their knowledge of the navigation of the Red Sea 
in some degree a secret; and fearing lest the Europe- 
ans should be tempted to take possession of it, they 
avoid as much as possible entering into any direct rela- 
tion with them, in order not to excite the curiosity and 
attention of the Christians, to the details and advantages 
of the commerce of that sea. This fear is one of the 
principal causes of the disagreeable events which the 
Europeans meet with upon the Arabian coast. It has 
been already shown how the Petrucci's English captain 
was treated, although the former was considered as a 
friend of the Scherif. 
I think that the European nations who have posses- 
sions in the Indian Ocean, might have, by means of the 
Red Sea, a direct line of communication and corres- 
pondence, which would not be difficult to establish. 
For this purpose I will suppose an agent at Mokha, 
with a correspondent at Djedda, and an agent at Cairo, 
with his correspondent at Suez. The correspondence 
being once arrived by sea at Mokha, if there was np- 
thing very urgent, would continue its route by the 
channel to Djedda and to Suez, by the vessels which 
