Page 345 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

324 COAST OF NUBIA. [CH.

of his description of that part of the shore on
which he landed, and which, as he remarked,
is still called Sael (Sahel), is fully confirmed
by Belzoni, who visited the same place in
1810. Bruce’s remarks respecting the break­
ers, which he says “ run oft' at all points
around the island ” of Makowar, and the fact,
which he observed, of there being no sound­

ings even close to the island, will be found
perfectly correct by referring either to the
chart of the late survey, or to the sailing di­
rections which will accompany it. This tra­
veller’s description of the general appearance
and features of the land in the vicinity of
these islands (Wadi Jemal and Makowar)
and Cape Nose, was observed by all the
officers on board the surveying vessel to be
so correct and circumstantial, that they could

not entertain a suspicion that what Bruce
has said on the subject had been borrowed
from any other author. The appearance
which the island presented when first seen
by Bruce, “ rising like a pillar out of the
sea, ” does not certainly apply to Wadi
Jemal, but illusions of a similar nature,
depending on atmospheric refraction, were