Page 156 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

VIII.] GULF OF ’aKABAH. 137

drifted off’, we should have been unincum­
bered with her.
During the three following days, the breeze
still continuing strong but not so violent as
that we experienced in Sherm Majowwik, I
made an excursion into the interior, but saw
nothing worthy of remark. We weighed at
daylight, and stood towards the Arabian
shore for an anchorage, which our pilot had

described as sufficiently capacious; but
were again doomed to disappointment, for,
upon approaching, we discovered it to be not
larger than would accommodate a boat. We
therefore returned to the Sinai side. In our
passage the winds were very inconstant, shift­
ing suddenly from contrary points of the com­
pass, as the current swept through the valleys
on either shore. At times they felt sultry,
and again a cooler gust succeeded, that sunk
a Fahrenheit's thermometer fifteen degrees.
More than once they were observed to be blow­

ing in one direction from the mast-head, and
from a contrary quarter below; and Leslie’s
hygrometer, on these occasions, sometimes
varied from 10° to 55°.
About sunset a low sandy point, under