By some
travellers the author was informed that these Straits lie on this side
of Aden to the north-west, a day and nights sail. The mountains of al
Mandab are in the country of the negroes, and may be seen from the
mountains of Aden, though at a great distance. Thus much for the
western side of this sea. Let us now pass over to the eastern coast.
[Footnote 340: Or al Kolzom, which signifies the swallowing up.
Here, according to Albufeda in his description of Mesr or Egypt,
Pharaoh was drowned, and the town and the sea took this name from that
event. Kolzum is doubtless the ancient Clysma, as indicated both by
the similarity of names, and the agreement of situation. It was in the
road of the pilgrims from Egypt to Mecca, but is now destroyed. Dr
Pocock places Clysma on his map about 15 min. south from Suez. - Ast. I.
131. b.]
[Footnote 341: Kus is a town near the Nile, a little way south of
Kept, the ancient Koptos; which shews that Kossir must be the
ancient Berenice, as formerly observed in a note on the Journal of de
Castro. - Astl. I. 131. c.]
[Footnote 342: In this name of Aydhab, the dh is pronounced with a
kind of lisp, like the English th in the words the, then, &c.
About 1150, in the time of al Edrisi, this was a famous port, and
carried on a great trade. Both the king of Bejah or Bajah, a port of
Nubia, and the Soldan of Egypt, had officers here to receive the
customs, which were divided between these sovereigns. There was a
regular ferry here to Jiddah, the port of Mecca, which lies opposite,
the passage occupying a day and a night, through a sea full of shoals
and rocks. In his description of Egypt, Abulfeda says Aydhab belonged to
Egypt, and was frequented by the merchants of Yaman, and by the pilgrims
from Egypt to Mecca. - Astl. I. 131. d.]
The coast of Bahr al Kolzum runs northward from Aden[343], and
proceeds thence round the coast of al Yaman (or Arabia Felix), till it
comes to the borders thereof. Thence it runs north to Joddah. From
Joddah it declines a little to the west, as far as Jahafah, a
station of the people of Mesr (Egypt), when on pilgrimage to Mecca.
Thence advancing north, with a small inclination towards the west, it
washes the coast of Yanbaak (Yamboa). Here it turns off
north-westwards, and having passed Madyan it comes to Aylah. Thence
descending southwards it comes to the mountain al Tur[344], which
thrusting forwards separates two arms of the sea. Thence returning to
the north, it passes on to al Kolzum, where the description began,
which is situated to the west of Aylah, and almost in the same
latitude.
[Footnote 343: From Aden the coast leading to the Straits of Bab al
Mandab runs almost due west, with a slight northern inclination, about
115 statute miles, or 1 deg. 45 min. of longitude to Cape Arah, which
with Cape al Mandab from the two sides of the Straits of Mecca or Bab
al Mandab, having the island of Prin interposed, considerably nearer to
the Arabian than the African shore. - E.]
[Footnote 344: A mountain so called near Sinai, which likewise goes by
that name. - Ast. I. 151. h. - This mountain of al Tur forms the
separation between the Gulf of Suez and that of Akkaba, its western
extremity forming Cape Mahomed. - E.]
Al Kolzum and Aylah are situated on two arms or gulfs of the sea,
between which the land interposes, running to the South; which land is
the mountain al Tur almost in the same longitude with Aylah, which
stands at the northern extremity of the eastern bay, while al Kolzum
is at the northern extremity of the western gulf, so that Aylah is
more to the east, and mount al Tur more to the south than al Kolzum.
Aylah is situated on the inmost part of the promontory which extends
into the sea. Between al Tur and the coast of Mesr (Egypt), that
arm of the sea or gulf extends on which al Kolzum stands. In like
manner that arm of the sea on which Aylah is situated extends between
al Tur and Hejaz. From this mountain of al Tur the distance to
either of the opposite coasts is small by sea, but longer about by the
desert of Fakiyah, as those who travel by land from al Tur to Mesr
are under the necessity of going round by al Kolzum, and those who go
by land from al Tur to Hejaz must go round by way of Aylah. Al Tur
joins the continent on the north, but its other three sides are washed
by the sea. The sea of al Kolzum, after passing some way to the
south-east from al Tur begins to widen on either side, till it becomes
seventy[345] miles broad. This wider part is called Barkah al
Gorondal.
[Footnote 345: These are to be understood as Arabian miles, 56-2/3 to
the degree, or each equal to 1-1/4 English miles according to Norwoods
measure, 69-1/2 to the degree. - Astl. I. 132. b.
This would only give 80 English miles for the breadth of the Red Sea;
whereas, immediately below the junction of the two northern guffs, it is
104 miles broad, and its greatest breadth for a long way is 208
miles. - E.]
Table of Situations, from Abulfeda[346].
Lat.
deg. min. deg. min
Kolzum, 28 20 N. 54 15 E.
- - - -by some 56 30
Al Kossir, 26 0 59 0
Aydhab 21 0 58 0
Swakem, 17 0 58 0
Aden, 11 0 66 0
Borders of Yaman, 19 0 67 0
Jiddah, 21 0 66 0
Jahafah, 22 0 65 0
Yamboa, 26 0 64 0
Aylah, 29 0 55 0
- - 28 50 56 40
[Footnote 346:
