from Mecca, as passengers on their way home. We purchased from them nine
and a half pounds of opium as a trial, and dismissed them. The 30th I
stopt two vessels, both belonging to a place on the Abyssinian or
African coast, called _Bandar Zeada_; one laden only with mats, and the
other having sixty-eight fat-rumped sheep, which we bought from them,
and dismissed them.

The 8th May we plied towards the _bab_ under easy sail, with a pleasant
wind at N.E. by E. At ten a.m. we descried land on the African coast,
looking at first like an island, but soon perceived it to be the main.
From thence we steered N.W. towards the _bab_, which, by estimation, was
then about ten leagues distant; and near four p.m. we descried the
straits, when we lingered off and on to spend the night. At day-light
next morning we made sail towards the _bab_. On entering the strait we
descried a sail astern, coming direct for the strait, on which I struck
my top-sails to wait for her, and sent off my pinnace to take
possession. The pinnace returned with the _Nakhada_ and _Malim_, whom I
examined, and found them to be subjects of the Great Mogul, belonging to
a place called _Larree_,[365] situated at the mouth of the great river
of Sindi. I luft up along with this ship into a bay, on the east side of
the straits, where we came to anchor in seven fathoms. I then sent my
merchants aboard to examine her loading, which consisted of divers packs
and fardels of cloth, seeds of various kinds, leather, jars of butter,
and a great quantity of oil, some for eating and some for lamps. As this
vessel had many passengers, and I could not keep her for want of water,
I took out of her the likeliest packs of Indian cloth to serve our
purposes, with some butter and oil for our own use, and then allowed
her to proceed for Mokha.

[Footnote 365: Bander Larry, or Larry Bunder, on the Pity river, the
most north-western branch of the Delta of the Indus, or Scinde
river.--E.]

About three p.m. I descried a ship of 200 tons opening the east land of
the straits, and immediately following her a vessel of huge size, her
main-yard being forty-three yards long. On coming near the great ship,
we knew her, by her masts and tops, to be the Mahmudi of Dabul; and
knowing the pride of her captain, I was anxious to gain the command over
him, as he would never formerly, either at Mokha or Dabul, come to visit
our general. Seeing him stand from us, I gave him one shot, and stood
with t