vast crocodile with its legs stretched out, and is a noted
land-mark among navigators. _Connaka_ and _Zamorjete_ bear from each
other N.W. by W. and S.E. by E. distant about six small leagues. About
half an hour past ten, we reached a very long point of sand stretching
far out to sea, called _Ras-al-nef_, which signifies in Arabic the point
or cape of the nose. There is no nigh land whatever about this cape, but
a vast plain field without tree or any green thing, and in the very face
of the point stands a great temple without any other buildings, and on
each side of it is a very clear sandy coast in manner of a bay. This
cape of _Ras-al-nef_ is famous among navigators, as all their trouble
and danger ends on reaching it, when they consider themselves at home
and secure. We continued our course from this cape along the coast with
the wind at S.E. At noon my pilot took the altitude, and found our
latitude 24 deg. 10' N. at which time we were beyond _Ras-al-nef_ about
three leagues, whence the latitude of that cape is 24 deg. N. From this it
appears that the ancient city of _Berenice_ was built upon this cape
_Ras-al-nef_ as Ptolomy places it on this coast under the tropic of
_Cancer_, making the greatest declination of the sun at this place
almost 23 deg. 50'. Likewise Pliny says that at Berenice the sun at noon in
the summer solstice gives no shadow to the _gnomon_, by which that city
appears to have stood under the tropic.[303]

[Footnote 303: It may be presumed that the position given by Ptolomy is
merely accidental, resulting from computed distances; and Pliny only
speaks from the authority of Ptolomy. In all probability _Al Kossir_, to
be afterwards mentioned, is the _Berenice_ of the ancients.--Astl.]

Half an hour before sunset, we came to an island called _Shwarit_, but
passing onwards a quarter of a league we came to some shelves of sand
and others of rock, and anchored between them in a good harbour called
_Sial_. These shelves and this port are 103 leagues beyond _Swakem_. On
these shelves we saw a much greater quantity of sea-fowl than had been
seen in any part of the Red Sea. From _Ras-al-Nashef_ to the island of
_Shwarit_ may be between 16 and 17 leagues. After passing Cape
_Ras-al-Nashef_, or the N.W. point of the great bay, the coast winds
very much, running into the land, and pushing out again a very long
point of land called _Ras-al-nef_, which two points bear from each other
N.E. and S.W. almost 1/4 mo