Direction of the shore
being N.E. by N. The mountains approach very near to the water, leaving
only a narrow sloping plain covered with loose stones, washed down from
above by the torrents. The road was profusely strewed with shells of
different species, all of which were empty. The fishermen collect the
shells, take out the animals, and
WADY OM HASH
[p.501] dry them in the sun, particularly that of the species called
Zorombat [Arabic], which I have also seen in plenty on the African coast
of the Red sea, north of Souakin, and at Djidda, where they are much
esteemed by the mariners, and are sold by the fishermen at Tor and Suez.
I here made a rough measurement of the breadth of the gulf: having
assumed a base of seven hundred paces along the beach, and then measured
with my compass the angles formed at either extremity of it, with a
prominent point of the opposite mountain, the result gave a breadth of
about twelve miles. The vegetation appeared to be much less impregnated
with saline particles than I had found it on other parts of the coast of
the Red sea.
At two hours and three quarters we had to pass round the bottom of
another bay, of red and white sand-stone, where steep rocks advance so
close to the water as to leave only a narrow path.
