Page 264 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

.Ml.] COAST OF ARABIA. 245

spect to each other, as to form convenient
halting-places for the boats and vessels in
their progress up and down the sea. In some

intervals they do not exist, and, under these
circumstances, the Arabs are constrained to
depend on the precarious shelter afforded by
the reefs. Their importance is evident should
small steamers pass by this route; and the
facilities they afford of procuring fresh water,
provisions, and fire-wood, may prove an in­
ducement for ships proceeding up outside to
visit them. The reefs in this part of the Red
Sea are found either extending in ridges,
which have generally deep water or no sound­

ings near them, or they form extensive banks,
having a depth varying from ten to fifteen
fathoms.
With some few exceptions, their general
direction is straight, though, in many places,
the short projections on either side give them
a serpentine appearance. Their length varies
from a hundred and fifty yards to two or
three miles, which they rarely exceed. It
may be remarked that, under every variety of
wind or weather, in no instance did we wit­
ness heavy surf on the reefs. If I might here