e, and let fall another anchor, which not holding, she
drifted into six fathoms, when they were forced to cut their cable, and
stand off into deeper water. The 4th, when preparing to weigh anchor, I
saw the Trades-increase standing over for Mokha, while Mr Pemberton in
the Darling was riding in a good road, to which I would gladly have
gone, but not knowing what need our great ship might have of my
carpenters, her own being prisoners at Mokha, I stood after her, and
carrying too much sail in rigorous weather, we split both our new
topsails, which had been sewed with rotten twine, as indeed most of our
sails were. Owing to this, it was night before I got into Mokha road,
where I learnt the Trades-increase had lost two anchors, on which I sent
my carpenters aboard to stock some others for her.

From that to the 18th we continued in Mokha roads with little ease, and
to the material injury of our cables. From the 6th to the 11th canoes
came every day from the town with letters from the carpenters,
containing a variety of forged news communicated by the aga, who
permitted them to send off chiefly for the sake of wine and beer, with
which they gratified the Turks; and were sometimes allowed to send off
some little fresh provisions. The 12th the Darling came into the road,
saluting me with three guns in token of good news. Mr Pemberton came
immediately aboard, and told me, to my great comfort, that he had found
an easy road and a good watering place, and had recovered his cable and
anchor. The 18th some persons came off to us from Mokha, bringing us two
bullocks, two goats, a few hens and eggs, and some fruit, but no news of
our general. That afternoon we set sail for the good road on the
Abyssinian coast, and anchored at night three leagues short of it, under
an island which we named _Crab island_, owing to the great abundance of
crabs we found there. The 19th we weighed again, and anchored under
another island, smaller than the former; and on the 20th we stood
farther into the bay, anchoring in eight fathoms, half a mile from
shore, right opposite the watering place.

I sent George Jeff ashore in the pinnace to find out the river, and
to endeavour to speak with the natives. Immediately on landing, about an
hundred of the natives presented themselves, armed with lances, and one
bolder than the rest came forwards, and even desired to be carried on
board. He there informed me, by means of an interpreter, that the Turks
had sen