16th, Wednesday. Pursuing our course west and by south, we at noon passed the Island of Abdulcuria,[[85]] the disjointed rocks of which appeared at a distance like so many separate isles. It extends in a N.W. and N.E. direction, and bears from the south Cape of Socotra W. by S. 100 miles, and 50 miles W. 1/2 S. of the Brothers; the island is an appendage of Socotra, to the chief of which it is subject; it is said to afford plenty of fresh water.[[86]] Passing this island, the high land on the eastern extremity of the African Continent presented itself to our view, and at 9 P.M. we hove to with the ship’s head to the S.E.—Cape Guardafui, bearing W. by N. 1/2 N., distant 9 or 10 leagues. We were still favoured with fine cool weather, the thermometer at 77°, with light winds varying from N.E. to E. and S.E., and the sky generally overspread with light-coloured clouds: with the exception of the night of the 5th, no dew has fallen since we sailed. Lat. at noon 11° 49′ N.; long. by chronometer 52° 13′ E., variation by azimuth 5° 31′ W.; the position of Abdulcuria according to our observations is in North lat. 12°, and long. 52° 20′ E.
17th, Thursday. At sunrise made sail again, steering in a S.W. direction along the Continent of Africa in from 35 to 70 fathoms,—white sand and coral; but about 4 P.M. it falling calm, and finding a current setting us inshore at the rate of half-a-mile an hour, came to in 38 fathoms to prevent ourselves being imbayed. At 6, a breeze springing up from the eastward, encouraged us to make another attempt, but presently dying away, we were again obliged to anchor. While lying here we put out our lines and caught one fine rock-fish, which are probably very plentiful, as we observed our consort, the Sylph, haul up several in a short space of time. At 10 P.M. weighed with a light easterly wind, and stood to the S.E. We had this day cloudy weather, with light variable winds; the thermometer at 78½°. Lat. 11° 41′ N.; long. per chronometer at noon 51° 14′ S. According to this as Cape Guardafui is in N. lat. 11° 49′, long. 51° 13′ E.
18th, Friday. Working off shore with light baffling winds, in from 45 to 55 fathoms, sand. The weather cloudy, with slight showers of rain, and a lowering sky. A considerable dew had fallen during the night, and the air to-day felt damp and unpleasant. The thermometer at 78½°; found the current setting us in-shore at the rate of one mile per hour. Lat. 11° 30′ N.; long. by chronometer at noon 51° 31′ 15″ E.
19th, Saturday. Dew at night, and during the day southerly winds continued to prevail with damp cloudy weather, and occasional showers of rain; the thermometer at 78½°. Tacking off and on shore, we had in the course of the day another sight of the Island of Abdulcuria and the Brothers, the former bearing N.W. of us, and the latter in a north-easterly direction. Lat. obsd. 11° 42′ N.; long. by lunar at 9 A.M. 51° 56′, and by chronometer at noon 52° 5′, E., variation by azimuth 7° W. About 6 P.M. in attempting to tack, the ship refused to stay, and, in consequence, got foul of the Sylph, which we at the time had in tow. Fortunately, however, after some alarm and a little trouble, we soon got clear again, without material damage being sustained by either vessel.
20th, Sunday. Continued working along the African shore with fresh southerly winds, the thermometer at 79½°, Cape Guardafui and the Brothers still in sight. Abdulcuria at sunset bore N. and by E. of us distant 14 or 15 leagues. Lat. 11° 27′ N.; long. per lunar at 9 A.M., 52° 24′ E., and by chron. at noon 52° 29′ E., variation per azimuth 6½° W.
21st, Monday. Still working against the southerly winds; no land in sight. The thermometer at 79½°. Lat. observed at noon 10° 50′ N.; long. by lunar at 10 A.M. 52° 37′, and by chron. at noon 52° 43′ E., variation, 8° 20′ W.
22nd, Tuesday. During the early part of the day fresh southerly winds, with the thermometer at 79½°. Towards the evening it fell calm, when we lowered the boat and tried the current; found it setting to the northward at the rate of half a knot an hour. Lat. observed 10° 43′ N.; long. by chron. 53° E.
23rd, Wednesday. We had light southerly winds and calm in the morning, but a northerly breeze springing up in the afternoon permitted us to lay our course S.W. Still no land to be seen. The thermometer at 79½°. Lat. observed 10° 28′ N.; long. by chron. 53° E.
24th, Thursday. Steering W.S.W. with a fresh northerly breeze. The weather damp and misty, and frequent drizzling rain. Thermometer 78½°. Lat. observed 9° 8′ N.; long. by chron. 51° 55′ 15″ E.
25th, Friday. Proceeding westward, we in course of the forenoon saw land, which, as we now approached that part of the coast where the objects of our investigation lay, was looked to with anxious expectation. It bore N.W. by W. distant from us 5 or 6 leagues, and by the situation of the ship, knew it to be the land between Cape Orfui[[87]] and Cape Basseos:[[88]] as this coast has been hitherto considered as desert and inaccessible, we were anxious to examine it, but the thick haze which hung over the land, and the light winds and currents which we never failed to experience on nearing the shore, obliged us to heave off towards the evening to avoid getting imbayed; the land, as it appeared to us, seemed fully to justify the descriptions given of it. It seemed of a moderate uniform height, and barren and sandy, without vestige of habitation, or vegetable production of any kind. We hove to for a short time in the afternoon, and discovered by striking soundings in thirty fathoms, and suddenly deepening again, that we had happened on a sandbank, many of which probably lay along this coast. While we lay to the lines were put overboard, and shark and rock-fish of various kinds being found in great plenty, a good number was soon taken, sufficient to furnish the whole ship’s company with a fresh meal in the evening: made sail again, standing out from the land. We had to-day moderate north-easterly winds with fair weather; the thermometer at 80°. Lat. observed 8° 20′ N.; long. by chron. at noon 50° 32′ E.; variation 6° 12′ W. Immediately after discovering land, we perceived a large dow or boat close in shore, which appeared eager to avoid us.