All
Around This Bay There Is A Great Shoal; So That The Deep Water Is From
The Edge Of The City All Round To The Distance Of A Bow-Shot, And All
Beyond Is Full Of Shoals.
In this bay there are three other islands on
the land side to the north-west.
The two which lie farthest in are
small, but that nearest to the channel is about as large as the city.
Between this island and the main sea, there is a large and very long
channel, having seven fathoms water, all along which a great navy might
safely ride at anchor, without any danger of annoyance from the city,
whence only their masts could be seen. When the moon appears in the
horizon it is full sea, and as the moon advances it ebbs till the moon
comes to the meridian, when it is dead low water; and thence it begins
again to flow till the moon sets, when it is again full sea. The entire
ebb and flow of the sea at this city does not exceed a quarter of a
yard. The most that it rises along the coast is a yard and a half, and
in some places less than three quarters of a yard. But when I made this
observation it was neap tide.
[Footnote 292: This is to be understood of 1541, when visited by De
Castro. Since the Turkish conquest, Mokha and other places have greater
trade. - Purch.]
SECTION VI.
Continuation of the Voyage from Swakem to Comol.
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