Page 198 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

x.] COAST OF ARABIA. 179

tions were fixed in the old charts with

tolerable precision, but the coast-line about
Mowilahh was drawn much too far to the
westward. The nature of the shore, and
the fact of its being seen in clear weather,
added to the dread which mariners enter­
tained of approaching an unknown and dan­
gerous coast, most probably gave rise to this
error. On approaching the shore from seaward,
it forms in narrow parallel ridges, which suc­

cessively rise without any observable increase
or decrease of shade; so that the land at the
distance of twenty miles presents nearly the
same appearance as it does at ten, and in
both instances appears close to the vessel.
This extraordinary clearness and purity of
the atmosphere is mostly observed in Decem­
ber, January, and February ; and during this
period the outline of any object on the hori­
zon, however distant or small, may be ob­
served with the utmost distinctness: the
brilliancy of the nights is also very great,
and facilities are thus afforded to the ma­

riner for making celestial observations, which
in the navigation of this part of the gulf he
will find of essential service.
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