Continuing By This Channel Among So Many Difficulties,
We Came To Anchor At Half An Hour Past Eleven At A Little Low Round
Island, In Lat.
19 deg.
N. In this latitude Ptolomy places the mountain of
the Satyrs[290]. Of this mountain the native pilots had no knowledge;
but going about half a league into the land, I found the footsteps of so
many kind of beasts, and such great flocks of pianets[291] as was
wonderful. All these tracks came till they set their feet in the sea,
and they occupied, the greatest part of the field. I believe the fable
of the Satyrs to have arisen from thence, and that they were said to
inhabit these hills and mountains. It is to be noted that in the channel
of four leagues from the harbour of Shabak to this island, the water
is never less than two and a half fathoms nor deeper than eleven, and
also that the tide at this island does not ebb and flow above half a
yard. It begins to flow as soon as the moon begins to ascend towards the
horizon, in the same order as already mentioned respecting Socotora.
[Footnote 290: This mountain of the Satyrs may more properly be
generally referred to the high range of mountains on this part of the
coast, perhaps from abounding in the baboon called Simia Satyrus, or the
Mandrill. - E.]
[Footnote 291: I know not what to make of the pianets; but the
footsteps of beasts reaching to the edge of the water may probably refer
to amphibious animals, while the flocks of pianets may have been
water-fowl of some kind. - E.]
The 26th at sunrise we departed from the island, rowing along a reef of
rocks that ran between us and the land to which it was almost parallel,
all the sea between it and the land being full of shoals and banks; but
to seawards there were neither shoals nor banks nor any other
impediment. At nine o'clock we came to anchor at a small island
encompassed by many flats and shoals, where there was a good haven. This
island was a league and a half from that we left in the morning, and 5
leagues short of Swakem. The 27th at sunrise, we set sail from this
second island, and two hours within the night we came to anchor a league
and a half farther on in 28 fathoms water. The 28th we bridled our
oars and set sail. At nine o'clock we anchored about two leagues from
the land in 23 fathoms, on soft sand, like ouze or mud. This morning we
found some shoals under water, but the sea always shewed itself very
green or red over them. Two hours after noon we set sail again, and
anchored at night in 37 fathoms on a sandy bottom, hard by an island a
league and a half short of Swakem. The coast runs N.N.W. and S.S.E.
having all along a shoal which extends near half a league into the sea.
This land differs in nothing from that formerly described. The 1st March
1541, departing from this anchorage, and having doubled a point of land
made by the shoal, we approached the land inwards by a channel, and came
to anchor in the haven of the city of Swakem.
Swakem was called by the ancients the port of Aspi, as may be seen
in the third table of Africa by Ptolemy. At this day it is one of the
richest cities in the East[292]. It is situated within the Arabian Gulf
or Red Sea, on the coast of Ethiopia sub Egypto, now called the land
and coast of the Abexii or Abyssinians. Among famous places, this may
be reckoned equal or superior to them all in four things. The first
is the goodness and safety of the haven. The second in the facility
and good service for lading and unlading ships. The third in its
traffic with very strange and remote people of various manners and
customs. The fourth in the strength and situation of the city. As
touching the goodness and security of the port I shall first speak.
Nature hath so formed this port that no storm from the sea can enter it
in any direction. Within the haven the sea is so quiet, and runs so
insensibly, that scarcely can we perceive it to have any tide. The
ground is mud. The road in all places has five or six fathoms, and seven
in some places; and is so large that two hundred ships may ride
commodiously at anchor, besides rowing-vessels without number. The water
is so clear that you may plainly perceive the bottom; and where that is
not seen the depth is at least ten or twelve fathoms. The ships can be
laden or unladen all round the city, merely by laying a plank from them
into the warehouses of the merchants; while gallies fasten themselves to
stones at the doors of the houses, laying their prows over the quays as
so many bridges. Now touching the trade and navigation of this port
with many sorts of people, and with strange and remote countries, I know
not what city can compare with it except Lisbon: as this city trades
with all India, both on this side and beyond the Ganges; with Cambaya,
Tanacerim, Pegu, Malacca; and within the Straits with Jiddah,
Cairo, and Alexandria. From all Ethiopia and Abyssinia it procures
great quantities of gold and ivory. As to the strength and situation of
this city enough can hardly be said; since to come to it, the
inconveniences, difficulties, and dangers are so great, that it seems
almost impossible: as for fifteen leagues about, the shoals, flats,
islands, channels, rocks, banks, and sands, and surges of the sea, are
so many and intricate that they put the sailors in great fear and almost
in despair. The situation of the city is this:
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