Abdal Kuria Is A Long Narrow Rugged Island, About
Five Leagues In Extent From East To West, On Which The King Of Socotora
Keeps A Few People To Tend A Flock Of Goats.
About three leagues north
from the middle of Abdal Kuria, are two great rocks near each other, and
some half a mile long, which are rendered entirely white by the dung of
birds.
From the west of Abdal Kuria to Cape Guar-da-fui, the distance is
fifteen leagues. The 31st October, being athwart the west end of
Socotora, we left, to the north, a white rock called Saboyna, four
leagues N.W. by W. from the point of Socotora. The first November, at
sunrise, we were abreast the middle of Abdal Kuria, leaving it two and a
half leagues to larboard, and the two white rocks half a league to
starboard. At one p.m. we descried Cape Guar-da-fui, but it was night
before we came near and passed it, so that we could not fix its true
position. On the morning of the second we were abreast a high mountain,
nine leagues west from Cape Guar-da-fui, between which point and another
high point five leagues W. by S. by the compass, there is a low sandy
point stretching one league and a quarter to sea; and about three
leagues more westerly, we anchored and went ashore with all our boats to
cut wood, of which we were in great want. From some of the inhabitants
we learnt that the last mount, or high point, which we passed was called
Feluk, or Foelix, by the Portuguese; but as soon as these people
knew us to be Christians, they fled from us.
[Footnote 352: In Purchas named Abba del Curia, by some called Abdel
Curia: Perhaps its name ought to be Abdal Kuria, or Adal Kuri, as
written by Captain Hamilton. - Astl. I. 395. c.]
The third, in the afternoon, having laid in a stock of wood, we set
sail, standing west towards the Red Sea. At ten a.m. on the 5th, we
descried the coast of Arabia Felix, bearing from us N.N.W. and N. by E.
the nearest land about twelve leagues distant. At noon I found the lat.
13 deg. 28' N. At sun-set we were still about twelve leagues from land,
which seemed mountainous in the interior, all very high, without any
appearance of trees or grass, or any other fruitfulness. We now directed
our course W. by S. as the coast lay, expecting soon to see Aden, as on
falling in with the land I reckoned we were not more than twenty-four
leagues eastward of that place; but, while I reckoned the course of the
ships across the gulf, N.W. by N. we found that we had made little more
than bare north, owing to the current, so that on falling in with the
land we were little less than sixty leagues short of Aden.
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