44 
LETTERS FROM 
shabby town, the name of which was un¬ 
known to any on board. I felt a great desire 
to land and explore this wild country, but 
one of our officers assured me that I should 
very soon wish myself on board again, as the 
coast was infested by roving parties of Arabs, 
by no means famed for their civility to stran¬ 
gers, especially when few in number, and 
unarmed. In the middle of the day the 
sun was so powerful that I was at last 
obliged to seek shelter from his rays, though 
in the shade the thermometer did not rise 
higher than 63°, the temperature of the water 
being 65°. Only one sail, and that a small 
fishing-boat, was seen during the day. In the 
evening we had a distant view of some lofty 
mountains, a continuation of the Atlas chain; 
and about midnight we passed within six or 
eight miles of Cape Bugeroni. 
During the day we had been annoyed by 
