Two hours after sunrise on the 8th of February we set sail, steering mostly to the N.W. and at sunset we were nearly entered into the channel between that point of Dallac which looks to the continent, and an island called Shamoa[275].  But as night was coming on, and many of the galleons were far astern, so that it might be difficult for them to hit the channel, and as besides the wind was now scarce, we took in our sails, and with our foresails only we went rummore[276], sailing to the south-east, and two hours after night-fall we cast anchor in 40 fathoms water the ground ouzing.  All this day we saw many islands along the coast, so low and flat that they seemed to have no surface above water.  The coast stretched N.W. and S.E. to a low point which is as far forward as the island of Dallac.  On doubling this point, a great bay or creek penetrates ten or twelve leagues into the land.

[Footnote 275:  In Purchas these two last mentioned places are named Dalaqua and Xamea, the Portuguese expressing our k by qu, and our sh by x; but we have preferred the more ordinary mode of spelling in modern geography.—­E.]

[Footnote 276:  This expression is absolutely unintelligible, but in the context the ship is said to have returned to the south-east.  It is used on a subsequent occasion apparently in the same sense, and perhaps means beating to windwards or drifting to leeward.—­E.]

The Island of Dallac is very low land, almost level with the sea, having no mountain or any other height.  In the common opinion it is 25 leagues long by 12 in breadth.  The side of the island opposite to the south stretches E.S.E. and W.N.W. being all the coast which I could see, and along the coast lay great numbers of little islands, all very low, and having the same direction with the coast.  I only went along this coast of the island seven leagues, at two leagues from the land, and though the lead was often cast I never found ground.  The metropolitan city or chief town is situated almost on the point of the island which lieth on the west side, and is a frontier to Abyssinia.  It is called Dallaca, whence the island took its name. Dallac, in the Arabic language signifies ten lacs, because in former times the custom-house of this city yielded that sum yearly to the king.  Every Arabian lac is 10,000 Xerephines; so that ten lacs are worth 40,000 crusadoes[277].  The west point of the island, opposite to Abyssinia, is distant from the continent about 6 or 7 leagues, and in this space there are five very flat islands.  The first of these, one league from the point, called Shamoa, is two leagues in circuit, and contains some springs and wells.  Between this island of Shamoa and the western point of Dallac, is the principal and most frequented channel for going to Massua.  In this channel the water is 70 fathoms deep.  The land of this island is red, and produces few trees, but plenty of grass.  The king of it and all his people are Moors.  He resides most part of the year at Massua, because of the trade which he carries on with the Abyssinians.  At present this island and Dallac yields very little profit; for since the rise of Suakem, Massua, Aden, and Jiddah, it has lost its trade and reputation.