THE RESULT OF SEIDI ALI’S EXPEDITION TO THE INDIAN OCEAN.
From Bender Goader the capudan again sailed with nine vessels for the Indian Ocean, and directed his course towards Yemen. For a few days the weather was favourable, and they had arrived in the neighbourhood of Zaffar and Shedjer, when the westerly winds began to blow, and they were overtaken by the storm called the Elephant, before which they scudded, being unable even to carry the foresail. Compared with this, a storm in the Mediterranean is as insignificant as a grain of sand: day could not be distinguished from night, and the waves rose like huge mountains. Their vessels were thus greatly injured, and they were obliged to throw overboard a great part of their ammunition and stores. In this way they drifted before the wind for ten days, during which time it rained incessantly, and there was no appearance of daylight. The sailors here saw immense fishes, of the length of two galleys; at which their spirits rose, because they consider them animals of good omen. They also saw sea-horses, huge serpents, tortoises as large as millstones, and sea-weed. After having been detained a long time, they at last approached the bay of Chekd.