The 21st By Day We Were Fast To The Shore Of An
Island Called Sheduam, And The Wind Being Calm, We Rowed Along The Coast
Of The Island, Which, Opposite To Arabia Or The East Side, Is High And
Craggy, All Of Hard Rock, Three Leagues Long And Two Broad.
This island
is 20 leagues beyond Al Kossir, having no water nor any trees.
It is
between the two coasts of Arabia and Egypt, being five leagues from
either. Beyond it to the north-west are three small low islands with
shoals among them. An hour after sunset, we were upon the north cape or
point of this island, whence we crossed towards the Arabian coast[312],
and having no wind we took to our oars. Within a little it began to blow
fair from the S.E. and we set sail steering N.W. At eleven next morning,
we were upon the coast of the Stony Arabia, and soon sailed along its
shore, entering two hours before sunset into the port Toro or Al
Tor, which may be seen front the island of Sheduam, distant 12 leagues,
bearing N. by W. and S. by E.
[Footnote 311: Safanj-al-Bahr. In Arabic Safanj, Sofinj and
Isfanj, all signify Sponge, which is obviously derived from the
Arabic word. - Ast.]
[Footnote 312: Probably meaning that part of Arabia between the Gulf of
Suez and the Bahr-akkaba, called the promontory of Tor, of which Cape
Mahomed forms the S.W. extremity, - E.]
Toro or Al Tor was of old called Elana, as may be seen in the
writings of Ptolomy, Strabo, and other ancient writers, although our
observation of the latitude differs materially from theirs.
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