Shore; and then, leaving the north part of that island, it
passed over to the coast of Arabia[318] for the first time, where it may
be presumed that they fell in with the land some way to the north of the
S.W. point of the great peninsula between the two gulfs. This cape in
the maps by De L'Isle and Dr Pocock is called Cape Mahomet. Still
however as the island of Sheduam seems to lie nearer the eastern gulf;
its north end being at least eighteen or twenty miles to the southward
of Cape Mahomet, it is surprising that Don Juan and the whole fleet
should overlook that gulf, which indeed was done before by the Venetian
who sailed along the Arabian shore in the fleet of Solyman Pacha. What
Don Juan says about the identity of Elana and Ailan or Aylan we
shall not contend about, as the authority of Strabo, and the similarity
of names are strong proofs. But we shall presently see that the Arabs
place Aylan at the head of a great gulf; and the distance he cites
from Strabo, 1260 stadia from Gaza to Aylan, supposing it to be exact,
is a proof that Aylan cannot be the same with Toro. We shall only
observe farther, that the positive denial by Don Juan of there being any
such gulf as the Elanitic on the east or side of Arabia, may have been
the reason why it was not laid down in the maps of Sanson, or by any
geographer before De L'Isle." - Ast. I. 124. a.
[Footnote 316: This paragraph, marked by inverted commas, is a
dissertation by the editor of Astleys Collection, too important to be
omitted, and too long for a note. - E.]
[Footnote 317: The latitude of Ayla in modern maps is about 29 deg.10' N.
having a very near coincidence. - E.]
[Footnote 318: Properly speaking only to the Arabian coast of the Gulf
of Suez, not at all to the Arabian coast of the Red Sea. - E.]
The city of Toro or Al Tor is built on the sea-side along an
extensive and fair strand or beach, and about a cannon-shot before
coming to it we saw twelve palm-trees close together very near the sea;
and from these a plain field extends to the foot of some high hills.
These hills are part of a chain which extends from the straits of Ormuz
or Persian Gulf, and which extend hither along the coast very high above
the sea as far as Toro, where they leave the coast, "and with a great
and sudden violence return from thence to the main towards the
north-east, as angry and wearied by so long neighbourhood of the
waters." Arabia Petrea is divided by three mountains from Arabia
Felix, and on the highest tops of them some Christians lead holy and
quiet lives.
