It Is All Clean In Every Place, Without Flats, Shoals, Or
Any Other Obstruction, So That It May Be Passed On Either Side Or In The
Middle.
The whole ground is a soft coral rock, with hardly any sand.
Being far within the channel, and going to seek the road or haven for
shelter from the east winds which are here very strong, the depth
somewhat diminishes, but is never less than 9 fathoms.
[Footnote 269: Meaning Abassi, Abyssinia, or Habash. - E.]
[Footnote 270: The cape on the Arabian shore is called Arrah-morah, or
of St Anthony, and that on the African Jebul al Mondub, or Mandab,
which signifies the Mountain of Lamentation, as formerly explained
respecting Bab-al-Mandub, the name of the straits - E.]
[Footnote 271: In Arabic Al Bab is the gate, and Al Abwah the gates.
By the Turks it is called Bab Bogazi, a general name for all straits;
and the babs by the English sailors. - Ast.]
[Footnote 272: Rather Roban or Ruban. - Ast.]
[Footnote 273: The island of Prin. - E.]
Besides this channel of the Arabians[274], there are many others by
which we may safely enter the straits; but we shall only mention one
other, which they called the channel of Abyssinia, between the Island
of the Gates, or Prin, and the promontory opposite to Possidium,
which is on the Abyssinian shore, and is about five leagues broad; but
in this space there are six great high islands, which being seen by
sailors while without the straits are apt to put them in fear that there
is no passage that way; but between all these islands there are large
channels of great depth all of which may be taken without danger, or
leaving them all on the right hand, we may pass in safety between them
and the coast of Abyssinia. At noon on the 29th of January 1541, I took
the altitude of the sun, which at its great height rose 62-3/4 degrees
above the horizon, the declination of this day being 15 degrees, whence
the latitude of the promontory Possidium and mouth of the straits is
12 deg. 15' N. The pilot took the same altitude with me, and being taken on
the land, it cannot but be accurate.
[Footnote 274: From this expression it is probable that Don Juan had
described the channel between the island of Pria and the shore of
Arabia, or rather the pilot island. - E.]
SECTION III.
Continuation of the Voyage, from the Straits of Bab-el-Man-dub, to
Massua.
On the same night, two hours after midnight, we set sail from the mouth
of the straits, and by day-light on the 30th we saw the land of both the
Arabian and African coasts, being nearer to the latter. The wind blew
hard at E.S.E. till noon, and we sailed to the N.W. and by W. making our
way by a channel between the first islands and the coast of Abyssinia,
till that day unknown to the Portuguese, being about 4 leagues distant
from that coast. An hour after sunrise, we saw a range of islands along
the coast, most of them low, stretching from S.E. to N.W. and which
extended about 60 leagues. Continuing our course in this channel with a
fair wind, we saw many little islands on either side, at whatsoever part
we cast our eyes. In this channel of the Abyssins, as it is called,
it is not proper to sail by night, nor unless the wind is in the poop,
as if the wind should change there is not room to turn to windward,
neither can we come to anchor till so far forward as the first of the
first islands, when we shall observe to seawards nine little islands,
and from thence forwards the sea remains free and open to seaward, but
towards the land there still are many islands. Some of these islands are
about two leagues distant from the coast, but the greatest part of them
are close to the land. The length of this channel, between the three
first islands and the coast of Abyssinia is about 8 leagues, and the
safest navigation is nearer the continent than the islands: But in my
opinion no one ought to venture upon this passage without a pilot of the
country.
On the 31st day of January we came to a shoal with six fathoms water,
and to seawards of which, over against certain islands called the Seven
Sisters, there is a very dangerous rock as I was told by the Moorish
pilots; so that the safe navigations in this part is to go between the
shoal and the land, and in no case to pass to seawards of the shoal. At
night we came to anchor in a haven named Sarbo, or Sorbo, in 9-1/2
fathoms water; having all this day seen many little islands close to the
coast. On the 1st of February I landed at the port in this island of
Sarbo taking the pilot and master along with me, that we might all
three take the altitude of the sun. At its greatest height it was scarce
71 deg. above the horizon, and the declination of that day being 13 deg. 56',
the latitude was 15 deg. 7' N. About 24 leagues short of Massua, and 4
leagues from the Abyssinian coast, in lat. 15 deg. N. there is a great
cluster or archipelago of islands, some of which hardly rise above the
surface of the sea, while others are so lofty that they seem to touch
the clouds; and between these there are so many bays, ports, and
harbours, that no wind can annoy us. All of these islands want water,
except one very high island, called Whale Island by the Portuguese,
because it very much resembles one, in which there is water and plenty
of cattle, with a large haven in which ships may winter.
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