2 
whether from the name of its discoverer, or the day 
on which it was discovered, is not known: some of 
our best geographers have supposed the latter, as it 
is a prevailing custom with the Portuguese, to call 
their new possessions after the name of the Saint on 
whose festival they were acquired. 
The supposition that this island was known to 
the ancients, and spoken of by Pliny, under the 
name of Lerne, and by Ptolemy, under that of 
Menuthias, appears to be erroneous, it being certain 
that they had no knowledge of any country south of 
Sierra Leone. The Arabs and the Moors have 
frequented the island from time immemorial, and 
called it Serandib. The latter, in sailing from the 
ports of the Red Sea, followed the coast of Abyssinia, 
and entering the channel of Mosambique, traded 
alternately with the Africans and Malegashes; using, 
in their commerce with the latter, the ports of Vin- 
gara and Bombetoque. The Arabs to this day 
carry on an extensive trade with some of the pro¬ 
vinces, particularly that of Boyana, the country of 
the Seclaves, where they have a factory. 
This island extends from 12°. to 25°. 40 . south lati¬ 
tude, and from 43°. 4 f. to 50°. 30'. east longitude, meri¬ 
dian of London. It is six hundred and seventy 
leagues from the Cape of Good Hope, one hundred 
and eighty-six from the Isle of France, and one 
hundred and fifty from that of Bourbon. Its nearest 
point to the coast of Africa, is Cape Manambaugh, 
which lies opposite to Mosambique, at the distance 
