n and cows, fat but small, Arabian sheep, hens,
oranges, lemons, and limes in abundance, paying for them in calicoes,
hollands, sword-blades, dollars, glasses, and other trifles."--T.R.

We sailed from Mohelia on the 2d August, and on the 17th got sight of
cape Guardafui, where the natives seemed afraid of us. The 20th we
anchored in the road of _Galencia_ in Socotora, where the fierceness of
the wind raised the sea into a continual surf all round about us, and by
the spray, blown about us like continual rain, our masts, yards, and
tackle were made white all over by the salt, like so much hoar-frost;
The 23d we anchored at _Tamara_, the town where the king resides, and on
the 24th at _Delisha_. They here demanded thirty dollars for the quintal
of aloes, which made us buy the less. The _Faiking_ told us that Captain
Downton had bought 100 quintals, and it was still so liquid, either
from newness, or because of the heat, that it was ready to run out of
the skins. The quintal of this place, as tried by our beam, weighed 103
1/2 pounds English. Aloes is made from the leaves of a plant resembling
our sempervivum, or house-leek, the roots and stalk being cut away, the
rest strongly pressed, and the juice boiled up to a certain height,
after which it is put into earthen pots, closely stopped for eight
months, and is then put into skins for sale. The north part of Socotora
is in 12 deg. 30', and the body in 120 deg. 25'.[166] It is fourteen leagues
from this island to _Abdul Curia_, and as much more from thence to cape
Guardafui. Such as mean to sail for Socotora, should touch at that cape,
and sail from thence next morning a little before day-break, to lose no
part of the day-light, the nights here being dark and obscure, with fogs
and boisterous winds, during the months of August and September. On
getting into _Abdul Curia_, they may anchor on the west side in seven or
eight fathoms, under the low land; or, if they cannot get to anchor,
should keep close hauled in the night to the southward, lest the wind
and northerly current put them too much to leeward before day.
Notwithstanding the monsoon, the winds do not blow steadily, being
sometimes S. by W. and S.S.W. but seldom to the east of south.

[Footnote 166: These two numbers unquestionably relate to the longitude
and latitude respectively, though strangely expressed. The true lat. is
13 deg. 20'N. and long. 53 deg. E. from Greenwich.--E.]

"Socotora is an island not far f