Tuna Is A Small Foul
Haven, Beyond Swakem 123 Leagues And A Half, In Lat.
25 deg.
30' N. The
entrance is between rocks, and within it is so much encumbered with
shoals and rocks that it is a small and sorry harbour; but round the
point forming the north side of this harbour, there is a good haven and
road-stead against the wind at N.W. the land round it being barren sand.
To the N.W. of this there are three sharp mountains of rock, as if to
indicate the situation of the harbour. One hour before sunset we
fastened ourselves to a shoal a league beyond Tuna. This coast, from a
league beyond Gualibo, to another point a league and a half beyond
this shoal, trends N.N.W. and S.S.E distance four leagues.
The 14th April we rowed along shore, the sea running very high so as to
distress the rowers; but beating up against wind and sea till past noon,
we came into a fine bay, in the bottom of which we came to anchor in an
excellent haven. This day and night we went about 5 leagues, and were
now about 129 leagues beyond Swakem. For these five leagues the coast
extends N.W. and S.E. the land within the coast being in some places low
and plain, while it is mountainous in others. By day-light on the 15th
we were a league short of Al Kossir, which we reached an hour and
half after sunrise, and cast anchor in the harbour. During the past
night and the short part of this day we had advanced about seven
leagues, the coast extending N.N.W. and S.S.E. According to Pliny, in
the sixth book of his Natural History, and Ptolomy in his third book of
Africa, this place of Al Kossir was anciently named Phioteras[307].
All the land from hence to Arsinoe, at the northern extremity of the
Red Sea, was anciently called Enco. This place is about 15 or 16 days
journey from the nearest part of the Nile, directly west. This is the
only port on all this coast to which provisions are brought from the
land of Egypt, now called Riffa; and from this port of Kossir all
the towns on the coast of the Red Sea are provided. In old times, the
town of Kossir was built two leagues farther up the coast; but being
found incommodious, especially as the harbour at that place was too
small, it was removed to this place. To this day the ruins of old
Kossir are still visible, and there I believe was Philoteras. New
Kossir by observations twice verified is in lat. 26 deg.15' N. being 136
leagues beyond Swakem. The port is a large bay quite open to the
eastern winds, which on this coast blow with great force. Right over
against the town there are some small shoals on which the sea breaks,
between which and the shore is the anchorage for frigates and ships
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