Afterwards Advancing In The Same Direction, It Washes The
Shores Of Al Habash (Ethiopia Or Abyssinia), As Far As The
Cape or
mountain of al Mandab (or al Mondub), at the mouth of the Bahr al
Kolzum or Red Sea,
Which here terminates; the Bahr al Hind, or Indian
Sea flowing into it at this place. The cape or mountain of al Mandub
and the desert of Aden approach very near, being separated only by so
narrow a strait that two persons on the opposite sides may see each
other across. These Straits are named Bab al Mandab. 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.
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