Page 384 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

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XVII.] COAST OF NUI5IA. 357

rounded by an outer and inner circle of stones,
with two of a larger kind at the head and feet;
the former is hollowed at the upper part to
the depth of eight or ten inches; but they
were entirely destitute of inscriptions or orna­
ments of any kind.

There is a village called Riisai, distant ten
miles from the anchorage, but neither per­
&
suasion nor offers of reward, would induce &
them to conduct us there, probably from m
jealousy of their females. The dromedaries i
we saw here, both as regards fleetness and I!
appearance, were infinitely superior to those
on the Arabian side, where these animals are i
much prized. In a race we got up between
half a dozen of them, several broke out into a
gallop, and it required the utmost exertions of
the riders to stop them.
From Hileib we proceeded to Mersa Marub,
which is not more than ninety yards in width

at the entrance, and consequently inaccessible
to all but boats. The nature of the service
on which we were employed, obliged us to
have recourse to these anchorages: shortly
after our arrival, a singular building was ob­
served from the ship, and I landed for the pur-