[ 5 6 ] 
Gidda. Gidda is its port ; and there is only one on the 
other coaft, Coffire j but it is a very bad one ; however, 
fhips fometim.es go thither, and caravans crofs the 
country to Morfhout. The fhips are, as the bifhop of 
Offory has deforibed them ; the helm is on the outfide, 
as I fuppofe, with his lordfhip, that of St. Paul was. 
They make ufe of but four fails, and no compafs, nor 
do they ever caft the lead. They fail only by day light, 
from anchoring place to anchoring place and are not, 
above two days out of fight of land, from Cape Maho- 
met to the Arabian main : if a gale happen, they are 
often loft j about one in ten every year. I fhall be 
glad to be honoured with the Society’s command, 
and in communicating this, you will oblige, 
Sir, 
Your moft humble fervant. 
Pifa, Dec. 
2, 1765. 
Ed. Wortley Mountagu, 
P. S. I am a very bad draughtfman ; but I allure 
you, the fketches contained in Plate III. are rather 
better than the originals. They are about fix inches 
long, the marble is whitifh, in fome places reddifh, 
of a flefh color ; they are engraved with a pointed 
inftrument, for one fees, in the bottom of them, round 
marks of the point of the inftrument. I have met 
with much bafalto, but not one piece of that foft ftone 
of which is the buft at Turin, nor any of the charac- 
ters upon it, except fome are found amongft thefe, I 
have neither feen any head, buft, or ftatue, in the 
character of that. 
The 
