[Footnote 324:  This passage respecting sea foams or evil waters is altogether unintelligible, unless perhaps some obscure allusion to water-spouts maybe supposed.—­E.]

SECTION IX.

Return Voyage from Suez to Massua.

In the morning of the 28th of April 1541 we departed from before Suez on our return to Massua[325].  At sunset we were one league short of a sharp red peak on the coast, 20 leagues from Suez.  At night we took in our sails and continued along shore under our foresails only, the wind blowing hard at N.N.W.  Two hours within the night, we came to anchor near the shore in 3 fathoms, the heavens being very dark and covered by many thick black clouds.  The 29th we weighed in the morning, and came into the port of Toro at nine o’clock, but soon weighed again, and came to anchor a league farther on, in a haven called Solymans watering place, where we took in water, digging pits in the sand a stones throw from the sea, where we got abundance of brackish water.  Leaving this place in the morning of the 30th, we anchored at 10 in the morning at the first of the three islands, which are two leagues N.W. of the island of Sheduam.  I went on shore here with my pilot, when we took the suns altitude a little less than 80 deg.; and as the declination that day was 17 deg.36’ the latitude of this island is 27 deg.40’ N. At sunset on the 1st of May we set sail, and by even-song time we came to an island, two leagues long, which thrusts out a point very close to the main land, between which and the island is a singularly good harbour for all weathers, fit for all the ships in the world.  The 2d at sunset we came to anchor in the port of Goelma[326], which is safe from N. and N.W. winds, but only fit for small vessels.  A short space within the land is the dry bed of a brook, having water during the floods of winter descending from the mountains.  Digging a little way we found fresh water.  There is a well here also, but not abundant in water.  This port, the name of which signifies in Arabic the port of water, is N.N.W. of al Kessir, distant 4 leagues.

[Footnote 325:  The fleet seems only to have been before Suez from 3 o’clock on the afternoon of the 27th of April till the morning of next day the 28th, or rather Don Juan only went forwards to examine the possibility of landing.  Yet De Faria says, II. 23.  “That after many brave attempts made by several to view and sound the harbour, Don Stefano landed with his men, and being repulsed, chiefly by means of an ambush of 2000 horse, was obliged to retire.”  The silence of Don John respecting any military operations, and the shortness of time, leaves hardly room to suppose that any were attempted.—­E.]

[Footnote 326:  Rather Kallama or Kalla’lma,—­Astl.]