According To The Information I
Received; Their Language And Customs Are Entirely Arabic.
The land, as I
was told, is entirely plain, on which it never rains except for a
wonder; but God hath provided a remedy by ordaining that the Nile should
twice a year[310] overflow its natural bounds to water the fields.
They
said likewise that the Nile from opposite to Al Kossir, and far above
that towards the bounds of Abyssinia, was navigable all the way to
Alexandria; but having many islands and rocks, either it was necessary
to have good pilots or to sail only by day. They told me likewise that
the natives inhabited this barren spot of Al Kossir, as being the
nearest harbour on the coast of the Red Sea to the Nile, whence
provisions were transported; and that the inhabitants were satisfied
with slight matts instead of roofs to their houses because not troubled
with rain, and the matts were a sufficient protection from the sun: but
made their walls of stone to defend themselves against the malignity and
rapaciousness of the Badwis, a perverse people, void of all goodness,
who often suddenly assaulted the place in hope of plunder, and
frequently pillaged the caravans coming across from the Nile with
provisions and other commodities.
[Footnote 308: No wonder, as Messr is the name by which Egypt is known
to the Arabs. - E.]
[Footnote 309: More properly Al Rif, which name more particularly
belongs to part of Lower Egypt. - Ast.]
[Footnote 310: This is erroneous, as the Nile only overflows once
yearly. - E.]
The 18th of April we fastened ourselves to a shoal about four leagues
past Kossir, and set sail from thence at noon. The 19th, about half
an hour past eight o'clock, while proceeding with fine weather, we were
suddenly taken aback by a fierce gust at N.N.W. which obliged us to take
shelter in an island called Suffange-al-bahar[311] or
Saffanj-al-bahr, losing 4 or 5 leagues of way that we had already
advanced. The name given to this island means in the Arabic a
sea-sponge. It is 13 leagues beyond Al Kossir, in lat. 27 deg. N. being
in length about two leagues by about a quarter in breadth, all of sand
without trees or water. Its harbour is good in all weathers; but upon
the main land the number of bays, ports, and harbours about this place
are wonderful. The best channel here is between the island, and the
main, along the coast of the continent, as on the side next the island
there are some shoals. Likewise in the northern entry to this port there
are other shoals which need not be feared in coming in by day, and in
the southern entrance there is a large rock in the very middle. The 20th
at sunset we were about six leagues beyond this island of
Safanj-al-bahr. From which island to a sandy, point about 1-1/2 league
beyond, the coast trends N.N.W. and S.S.E. and from this point forwards
to the end of the six leagues, the coast winds inwards to landwards
forming a large bay, within which are many islands, ports, creeks, bays,
and notable harbours. The 21st by day we were fast to the shore of an
island called Sheduam, and the wind being calm, we rowed along the coast
of the island, which, opposite to Arabia or the east side, is high and
craggy, all of hard rock, three leagues long and two broad. This island
is 20 leagues beyond Al Kossir, having no water nor any trees. It is
between the two coasts of Arabia and Egypt, being five leagues from
either. Beyond it to the north-west are three small low islands with
shoals among them. An hour after sunset, we were upon the north cape or
point of this island, whence we crossed towards the Arabian coast[312],
and having no wind we took to our oars. Within a little it began to blow
fair from the S.E. and we set sail steering N.W. At eleven next morning,
we were upon the coast of the Stony Arabia, and soon sailed along its
shore, entering two hours before sunset into the port Toro or Al
Tor, which may be seen front the island of Sheduam, distant 12 leagues,
bearing N. by W. and S. by E.
[Footnote 311: Safanj-al-Bahr. In Arabic Safanj, Sofinj and
Isfanj, all signify Sponge, which is obviously derived from the
Arabic word. - Ast.]
[Footnote 312: Probably meaning that part of Arabia between the Gulf of
Suez and the Bahr-akkaba, called the promontory of Tor, of which Cape
Mahomed forms the S.W. extremity, - E.]
Toro or Al Tor was of old called Elana, as may be seen in the
writings of Ptolomy, Strabo, and other ancient writers, although our
observation of the latitude differs materially from theirs. But they
shew that Elana was situated in the most inward part of a very great
gulf, called Sinus Elaniticus[313], from the name of this place
Elana, and in lat. 29 deg.15' N. Now we know that Toro is in lat. 28 deg.10'
N.[314] and lies upon a very long and straight coast. The cause of this
great difference, if these places be the same, may have proceeded from
erroneous information given to Ptolomy and the other ancient
cosmographers. But that ancient Elana and modern Toro are the same,
appears from this, that from thence to Suez both on the Arabian and
Egyptian coasts of the Elanitic Gulf, not only is there no memorial or
remains of any other ancient town, and the barrenness of the country,
want of water, and rough craggy mountains, make it evident that in no
other place could there be any habitation. Hence, considering that
Ptolomy places Elana on the coast of Arabia Petrea, near adjoining to
mount Sinai, and makes no mention of any town between it and the City
of Heroes on the upmost extremity of the Elanitic Gulf where the sea
ends; and as on this shore of Arabia there is neither town, village, nor
habitation, coming so near the position assigned to Elana as Toro,
and as it is impossible to inhabit between Toro and Suez, it seems
just to conclude that Toro and Elana are the same place.
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