The 4th,
We Saw Cape Guardafui, Bearing West Eight Or Nine Leagues, Being In Lat.
12 Deg.
1' N. [12 deg.
28'.] In the evening, standing in along the land to find
the bay of Feluk, [Filek or Felix] our depths were twenty-six, eighteen,
and seventeen fathoms. We here resolved to go for Mokha, not Aden,
because the latter is merely a garrison town, and has little trade,
besides other inconvenience, such as the exaction of heavy customs, and
the like, as appeared by the sixth voyage under Sir Henry Middleton.
Here, off Feluk, we took good store of mullets with our sein, and other
large and excellent fish with hooks and lines. At this place there are
several sorts of gums, very sweet in burning, as also fine mats, much in
request at Aden, Mokha, and the Indies. Ordinarily the India ships touch
here both going to the Red Sea and returning, purchasing there mats and
gums, as likewise provisions, such as sheep and butter, which are far
cheaper here than at Mokha. Boats from hence go daily with provisions to
sell at Mokha and Aden, but they will only barter for linen-cloth
[cotton.] At Feluk there is plenty of wood and water to be had, but not
in the bottom of the bay. The passage up to the town is so large, that
three ships may go up a-breast without danger. The entry is between a
high hummock and a low sandy point. The masters proposed to steer from
Feluk W. by N. along the African shore, to the island of Demiti or
Mete, and then to shape a course for Aden.
[Footnote 409: In reality, 13 deg. 30' N. in Arrowsmith's great Chart of the
World. In Astley's Collection, V.I. chart vii. it is placed only in 12 deg.
20'. - E.]
The 10th, in the morning, we had sight of two small islands off the high
land of Demiti, about a league from the coast, and about four leagues
distant from each other, the eastermost bearing S. by W. seven leagues,
and the westermost S.W. the same distance. We now stood over for the
high land of Aden, N.W. by N. and N.W. the wind at E. and E. by N. a
stiff breeze, and the current easterly, lat. 11 deg. 58' N.[410] The 11th we
had sight of the high land of Arabia, being that of Darsina, and having
a strong easterly current in coming over, though we steered between
N.N.W. and N.W. we were so carried to the eastwards, that we only made
our course N. by W. But after we were shot about twelve leagues off the
African shore, we found no current, being broken off, as we supposed, by
the point, or head-land of Aden. I now sent instructions to Captain
Towerson and Mr Davis for their conduct on our arrival at Mokha roads,
that our ships and people might be guarded against the treachery of the
Turks. The 12th we were in sight of the high land of Aden, bearing W. by
S. ten leagues off. The 13th, in the evening, we were fourteen leagues
eastwards of the entry of the straits, and sixteen leagues west from
Aden, and came here to anchor on a fine sandy bottom. The 14th, we
weighed in the morning, steering for the straits, having a small gale at
W. by N. with rain, being the first we had seen for four months. In the
evening, believing ourselves off the straits, we stood off and on under
easy sail all night, constantly heaving the lead, being eight or nine
leagues off the Arabian coast. About noon of the 15th we opened the
straits, and at night anchored in fifteen and a half fathom, on black
oose, three leagues from the Arabian, and ten from the Abyssinian shore,
the weather being so clear that we could distinctly see both.
[Footnote 410: The island or islands of Demiti or Mete, are in lat. 11 deg.
45' N. - E.]
The 16th we weighed in the morning, and stood for Mokha, where we came
to anchor in five and a half fathoms. Not long after anchoring, the
governor sent off a poor old slave in a small canoe, to know the cause
of our coming. I used this man kindly, who told me the English had been
lately here, and were ill used by Regib aga, then governor, who was
therefore cashiered, and the government was now in the hands of Ider
[Hayder] aga, a Greek by birth, who was the friend of strangers and
merchants. Giving him a present of two dollars, I sent him back to his
master to tell him we were Englishmen, and friends to the Grand Signior,
and, upon sending us a worthy person, we should acquaint him farther of
the cause of our coming. Soon afterwards there came off an Italian
renegado, well dressed, with a similar message, and to know if we had
the Grand Signior's pass. I told him we had not only such a pass, but
letters from the king of Great Britain to the pacha, which the Italian
desired to see; but, holding him a base fellow for changing from the
Christian religion, I refused,[411] and desired him to acquaint the
governor with these things, and that we were appointed, in honour of the
said pass, to fire fifty-one pieces of artillery on our arrival in these
roads, which we meant presently to do. The Italian requested he might be
allowed in the first place to inform his master of our intended salute,
which was granted, and the purser directed to give him five dollars, and
one to his boat's crew. His name was Mustafa Trudgeman.[412] We shot
off nineteen pieces from the Clove, seventeen from the Hector, and
fifteen from the Thomas, which the town answered with five pieces of
excellent ordnance, and three each from two gallies.
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