The Metropolitan City Or
Chief Town Is Situated Almost On The Point Of The Island Which Lieth On
The West Side, And Is A Frontier To Abyssinia.
It is called Dallaca,
whence the island took its name.
Dallac, in the Arabic language
signifies ten lacs, because in former times the custom-house of this
city yielded that sum yearly to the king. Every Arabian lac is 10,000
Xerephines; so that ten lacs are worth 40,000 crusadoes[277]. The west
point of the island, opposite to Abyssinia, is distant from the
continent about 6 or 7 leagues, and in this space there are five very
flat islands. The first of these, one league from the point, called
Shamoa, is two leagues in circuit, and contains some springs and
wells. Between this island of Shamoa and the western point of Dallac,
is the principal and most frequented channel for going to Massua. In
this channel the water is 70 fathoms deep. The land of this island is
red, and produces few trees, but plenty of grass. The king of it and all
his people are Moors. He resides most part of the year at Massua,
because of the trade which he carries on with the Abyssinians. At
present this island and Dallac yields very little profit; for since the
rise of Suakem, Massua, Aden, and Jiddah, it has lost its trade and
reputation.
[Footnote 277: A Xerephine being 3s. 9d., a lac is L.1875 sterling, and
ten lacs are consequently L.18,750.
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