who, at this time, from the computation of the natives, was said to be an hundred years old. Our super-cargo, who had been on shore, described him as a most venerable old man, of mild and friendly manners. He represented the people as a stout and well featured race, but miserably poor, and he was told, that, as no grain is cultivated on the coast, and very little imported, their food consists almost entirely of fish, milk, and occasionally, though very rarely, of goat's flesh. The tribe is one of the Danákil, and said to be called Adoole, consisting of about two hundred persons, men, women and children, of whom a part resides on the islands of Dabalac, Valentia, and Howakil. The only communication which subsists between Ayth and Abyssinia lies by the way of Madir, a village situated at the bottom of the Bay of Amphila. Therm. 76, Var. 9° 50', W.
On December 10th, I sent in the morning a small present to the Sheik, and gave Wursum money to defray the expenses of his father's funeral. We afterwards weighed anchor from Ayth roads, and proceeded under easy sail round the outside of the northern Kudaly, a high and steep island, about six miles from the continent. The tender, with one of our mates, sailed within the island, by which means we ascertained that a passage exists between it and the main land, full half a mile broad, with five fathoms water. On the coast, a little to the westward of this passage, wells of fresh water are said to be found, which are much frequented by the natives who navigate this sea.
The shore from Rackrash to Ras Kussar lies flat and low, but is bounded by high mountains at no great distance in the interior. A dangerous reef of rocks projects from Bas Kussar about three miles in a north-east direction, unnoticed in Captain Court's chart: from this dangerous reef the name of "Kussar" is probably derived, as the word in Arabic signifies 'broken.' In passing it we had only four fathoms, though at the time we were full five miles from the point of land. Not being able to reach Amphila before sunset, Captain Weatherhead thought it best to put the ship under easy sail, and to lie to for the night, which, with the knowledge now existing of the coast, may here be safely ventured,
