Pomponius Mela and other cosmographers name them in
general Arabs; but we ought to follow Ptolomy, as he was the prince of
cosmographers.
These Egyptian Arabs, who inhabit the whole country from
the mountains to the sea, are commonly called Bedwis or Bedouins, of
whose customs and manner of life we shall treat in another place.
We took in our sails on the 11th of April, and proceeded on our way by
rowing. At nine o'clock we entered a great bay called Gadenauhi[304],
about 4 leagues from Sial, the coast between trending N.W. and S.E.
rather more to the N. and S. The land over the sea, which for some
way had the appearance of a wall or trench, becomes now very mountainous
and doubled, shewing so many mountains and so close that it was
wonderful. The port or bay of Gadenauhi is 107 leagues beyond
Swakem, in lat. 24 deg. 40' N. It was low water one hour after high
noon[305], and full sea when the moon rose above the horizon; and as
the moon ascended it began to ebb, till the moon was an hour past the
meridian, when it began to flow, and was full sea an hour after the moon
set. By night the wind was N.W. Two or three hours after midnight we
departed from Gadenauhi prosecuting our voyage. In passing between the
shoal which comes from the N.W. point of the bay and the island of
Bahuto, we stuck fast upon the shoal, and were much troubled,
believing ourselves in a net or cul-de-sac; but we had no hurt or
danger, and presently got into the right channel and rowed along shore,
against the wind at N.W. till day. The 12th we rowed along shore, and
came an hour after sunrise into a haven called Xarmeelquiman or
Skarm-al-Kiman, meaning in the Arabic a cleft or opening in the
mountains. This is a small but excellent harbour, 1-1/2 league beyond
Gadenauhi, and 108 leagues beyond Swakem, very much like the port of
Igidid.
[Footnote 304: Perhaps Wad-annawi. - Astl.]
[Footnote 305: This strange expression, as connected with the tide which
is dependent on the moon, may possibly mean when the moon was in
opposition to the north; or mid-way between her setting and rising. - ]
The 12th of April we set sail along shore, the wind being fresher, and
more large, at E.S.E. About noon it blew very hard with such impetuous
gusts that it drove the sands of the coast very high, raising them up
to the heavens in vast whirls like great smokes. About evening when the
barks draw together, the wind was entirely calm to some, while others a
little behind or before, or more towards the land or the sea, had it
still so violent that they could not carry sail, the distance between
those becalmed and those having the wind very fresh, being often no more
than a stones throw. Presently after, the wind would assail those before
becalmed, while those that went very swift were left in a calm. Being
all close together, this seemed as if done in sport. Some of these gales
came from the E. and E.N.E. so hot and scorching that they seemed like
flames of fire. The sand raised by these winds went sometimes one way
and sometimes another; and we could sometimes see one cloud or pillar of
sand driven in three or four different directions before it fell down.
These singular changes would not have been wonderful among hills; but
were very singular where we were at such a distance from the coast. When
these winds assailed us in this manner we were at a port named Shaona,
or Shawna; and going on in this manner, sometimes hoisting and at
other times striking our sails, sometimes laughing at what we saw, and
other times in dread, we went on till near sunset, when we entered a
port named Gualibo,[306] signifying in Arabic the port of trouble,
having advanced this day and part of the former night about 13 leagues.
[Footnote 306: Perhaps Kalabon. - Astl.]
From Gadenauhi to a port named Shakara which is encompassed by a
very red hill, the coast trends N.W. by N. and S.E. by S. the distance
about 10 leagues; and from this red hill to a point about a league
beyond Gualibo, the coast runs N.N.W. and S.S.E. distance about 6
leagues. In these 16 leagues, the coast is very clear, only that a
league beyond the Red Hill there is a shoal half a large league from the
land. In these 16 leagues there are many excellent ports, more numerous
than I have ever seen in so short a space. At one of these named
Shawna, which is very large, the Moors and native inhabitants say
there formerly stood a famous city of the gentiles, which I believe to
have been that named Nechesia by Ptolomy in his third book of Africa.
Along the sea there runs a long range of great hills very close together
and doubling on each other, and far inland behind these great mountains
are seen to rise above them. In this range there are two mountains
larger than the rest, or even than any on the whole coast, one of which
is black as though it had been burnt, and the other is yellow, and
between them are great heaps of sand. From the black mountain inwards I
saw an open field in which were many large and tall trees with spreading
tops, being the first I had seen on the coast that seemed planted by
man; for those a little beyond Massua are of the kind pertaining to
marshes on the borders of the sea or of rivers; as those at the port of
Sharm-al-Kiman and at the harbour of Igidid are wild and pitiful,
naked and dry, without boughs or fruit.
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