Of All These
Islands, That Which Is Most Out To Sea Is Called In Arabic Sarbo,
Where We Now Lay At Anchor.
The island of Sarbo is about a league in
length and half a league broad, all low land with many low barren trees,
and covered with grass.
In every place we found the marks of men and
cattle, but we only saw one camel, for which reason our men called it
the Island of the Camel. Though we sought the whole island with much
diligence we could find no water, except in one well dug in a stone
which seemed intended to contain rain water. Between these islands there
are numerous arms of the sea, reaches, and channels. At sunrise on the
4th of February, we set sail from the port of Sarbo. February 7th we
sailed along many islands about three or four leagues distant from the
main land, most of them very low, almost even with the sea. We passed to
seaward of them all about a league, and about even-song time, we saw to
seawards of us a very long range of islands about 5 leagues in extent
and about four leagues from us, which lay N.W. and S.W. as far as I
could discern. The coast all this day trended N.W. and by W. and S.E.
and by E. so that the channel in which we sailed this day was about 5
leagues broad. The greatest part of this day I caused the lead to be
constantly thrown, always having 25 fathoms on an ouze bottom.
Two hours after sunrise on the 8th of February we set sail, steering
mostly to the N.W. and at sunset we were nearly entered into the channel
between that point of Dallac which looks to the continent, and an
island called Shamoa[275]. But as night was coming on, and many of the
galleons were far astern, so that it might be difficult for them to hit
the channel, and as besides the wind was now scarce, we took in our
sails, and with our foresails only we went rummore[276], sailing to
the south-east, and two hours after night-fall we cast anchor in 40
fathoms water the ground ouzing. All this day we saw many islands along
the coast, so low and flat that they seemed to have no surface above
water. The coast stretched N.W. and S.E. to a low point which is as far
forward as the island of Dallac. On doubling this point, a great bay
or creek penetrates ten or twelve leagues into the land.
[Footnote 275: In Purchas these two last mentioned places are named
Dalaqua and Xamea, the Portuguese expressing our k by qu, and our
sh by x; but we have preferred the more ordinary mode of spelling in
modern geography. - E.]
[Footnote 276: This expression is absolutely unintelligible, but in the
context the ship is said to have returned to the south-east. It is used
on a subsequent occasion apparently in the same sense, and perhaps means
beating to windwards or drifting to leeward. - E.]
The Island of Dallac is very low land, almost level with the sea, having
no mountain or any other height. In the common opinion it is 25 leagues
long by 12 in breadth. The side of the island opposite to the south
stretches E.S.E. and W.N.W. being all the coast which I could see, and
along the coast lay great numbers of little islands, all very low, and
having the same direction with the coast. I only went along this coast
of the island seven leagues, at two leagues from the land, and though
the lead was often cast I never found ground. The metropolitan city or
chief town is situated almost on the point of the island which lieth on
the west side, and is a frontier to Abyssinia. It is called Dallaca,
whence the island took its name. Dallac, in the Arabic language
signifies ten lacs, because in former times the custom-house of this
city yielded that sum yearly to the king. Every Arabian lac is 10,000
Xerephines; so that ten lacs are worth 40,000 crusadoes[277]. The west
point of the island, opposite to Abyssinia, is distant from the
continent about 6 or 7 leagues, and in this space there are five very
flat islands. The first of these, one league from the point, called
Shamoa, is two leagues in circuit, and contains some springs and
wells. Between this island of Shamoa and the western point of Dallac,
is the principal and most frequented channel for going to Massua. In
this channel the water is 70 fathoms deep. The land of this island is
red, and produces few trees, but plenty of grass. The king of it and all
his people are Moors. He resides most part of the year at Massua,
because of the trade which he carries on with the Abyssinians. At
present this island and Dallac yields very little profit; for since the
rise of Suakem, Massua, Aden, and Jiddah, it has lost its trade and
reputation.
[Footnote 277: A Xerephine being 3s. 9d., a lac is L.1875 sterling, and
ten lacs are consequently L.18,750. - E.]
The 12th of February the whole of our fleet came into the harbour of
Massua. Massua is a small island very low and flat, in which anciently
stood the city of Ptolomaida of the wild beasts. This island is in
length about the fifth part of a league, and a caliver-shot in breadth,
being situated in a large crooked nook or bay of the sea, and near the
north-west head-land of the bay. The channel which divides it from the
main land is about a falcon-shot across, and in some parts not so much,
in which channel the harbour is situated, which is safe in all weathers,
as all the winds that blow must come over the land, and it has not much
current.
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