For Generally On Both, Sides The Land By The Sea
Is Brown And Very Dark, As If Scorched.
In some places it appears black
and in others white, and the sands are of these colours.
In three places
only there are certain parts of the mountains having veins or streaks of
a red colour; and at these places the Portuguese had never been before
the present voyage. These three places are all far beyond Swakem
towards Suez, and the three hills having these red streaks or veins are
all of very hard rock, and all the land round about that we could see
are of the ordinary colour and appearance. Now, although substantially
the water of this sea has no difference in colour from that of other
seas, yet in many places its waves by accident seem very red, from the
following cause. From Swakem to Kossir, which is 136 leagues, the
sea is thickly beset with shoals and shelves or reefs, composed of
coral stone, which grows like clustered trees spreading its branches
on all sides as is done by real coral, to which this stone bears so
strong resemblance that it deceives many who are not very skilful
respecting the growth and nature of coral.
This coral stone is of two sorts, one of which is a very pure white,
and the other very red. In some places this coral stone is covered
by great quantities of green ouze or sleech, and in other places it is
free from this growth.
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