This is surely some mistake, it being next to impossible
that so few men should surround and overpower so great a number of armed
soldiers. - Astl. I. 89. d.]
On the 27th of June the whole fleet left Suez with the wind at N.W. and
before night cast anchor at a place called Korondol, 60 miles from
Suez; at which place Moses divided the sea by stretching out his rod,
and Pharaoh was drowned with all his host. At this place, which may be
considered the commencement of the Red Sea, we had 12 fathoms water, and
lay at anchor all night. Leaving Korondol on the 28th, we sailed 33
leagues to the S.E. and cast anchor two hours before night at a place
called Tor, where there are many Fransciscan friars who supplied the
fleet with water. This place is a days journey and a half from Mount
Sinai, where is the church and monastery of St Catharine, in which the
body of that saint is reposited. We remained five days at Tor, in five
fathoms water. We departed from Tor on the 3d of July, and came behind a
dry sand bank about a mile from the shore and 40 miles from Tor, where
we cast anchor in 12 fathoms water at a place named Kharas, where we
remained two days to inspect the two ships which carried the stores.
Leaving Kharas on the 5th, we came to an island named Soridan 40 miles
from the coast, the whole days course from sunrise to sunset being 100
miles. Continuing our voyage all night to the S.E. we found ourselves at
sunrise of the 6th to windward of a mountain on the right hand shore,
named Marzoan, 100 miles beyond Soridan. Proceeding forward on the
6th, and still sailing S.E. we advanced 100 miles by sunrise, and saw
land on the right towards Kabisa[216]. We sailed 90 miles on the 7th
S.E. by E. Proceeding on the 8th at the rate of 8 miles an hour, we
sailed 100 miles by sunrise; and in the night, the wind being
south-westerly, we advanced 20 miles to the S.E. On the 9th the winds
were variable and rather calm. To the S.E. we found a shoal under water
50 miles from land. Our course during the day was only 10 miles to the
N.W. and in the ensuing night 20 miles S. by W. On the 10th we sailed 70
miles S.E. and came to a port named Kor in eight fathoms water, in a
very desert country.
[Footnote 216: In Ramusio this is called the land of the Abissini. So
that instead of Kabisa or Kabisia, we should read in the text Habash or
Habashia, commonly called Abassia, Abissina, or Abyssinia. - Astl. I. 90.
a.]
SECTION II.
Arrival at Jiddah, the Port of Mecca. The islands of Alfas, Kamaran,
and Tuiche. The Straits of Bab-al-Mandub.
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