ered with salt-loving plants, and
the remainder is overspread with loose boulders and masses of black
lava, without a drop of fresh water, it cannot be considered a desirable
residence. The garrison, however, is supplied by means of tanks
constructed to catch the rain, and the fort is also furnished with an
apparatus for distilling salt water. The highest point is only about
245 feet above the sea.

My heart bounded with satisfaction when once more we made sail to the
southward. We were at length, I felt, fairly on our voyage to discover
my brother. Keeping an easterly course, we steered along the coast of
Berbera till we doubled Cape Guardafui. We then once more stood to the
southward along the coast of Ajan. We saw no towns or even villages,
though we constantly kept close in with the land. This part of Africa
is inhabited by tribes of people called the Somauli, who are in general
Mohammedans. Some live in towns, but they are mostly a pastoral people.
Those who live on this part of the coast occupy themselves almost
entirely as fishermen. We landed at several places to communicate with
them, and got glimpses of fertile-looking valleys, and here and there of
fine open grassy plains. We could hear of no vessel answering to the
description of the _Dragon_ having been seen off the coast; indeed, from
the business in which she was said to have been engaged, it was not
likely that she would have called off there. We entered also the
harbour of Magadoxa, formed by a coral reef. It is a curious place.
There are scarcely a hundred and fifty houses in the place--all of them
with thick walls, and built round court-yards, but one-half of the town
consists almost entirely of tombs.

We should not have been the wiser for our visit had we not fallen in
with the master of an Arab dhow, who had been some way to the southward
of the Portuguese settlements. Captain Armstrong had on some occasion
rendered him some service, and when he saw the _Star_, he came on board
with some small presents to show his gratitude. On being questioned, he
told us that some voyages before he had fallen in with a brig answering
exactly the description of the _Dragon_, and that he had heard that an
attempt had been made by her master and his crew to carry off some of
the negroes from a village on the coast against their will. He had
succeeded in securing a few on board, but when returning on shore for a
further supply, the natives had set on