[Footnote 409:  In reality, 13 deg. 30’ N. in Arrowsmith’s great Chart of the World.  In Astley’s Collection, V.I. chart vii. it is placed only in 12 deg. 20’.—­E.]

The 10th, in the morning, we had sight of two small islands off the high land of Demiti, about a league from the coast, and about four leagues distant from each other, the eastermost bearing S. by W. seven leagues, and the westermost S.W. the same distance.  We now stood over for the high land of Aden, N.W. by N. and N.W. the wind at E. and E. by N. a stiff breeze, and the current easterly, lat. 11 deg. 58’ N.[410] The 11th we had sight of the high land of Arabia, being that of Darsina, and having a strong easterly current in coming over, though we steered between N.N.W. and N.W. we were so carried to the eastwards, that we only made our course N. by W. But after we were shot about twelve leagues off the African shore, we found no current, being broken off, as we supposed, by the point, or head-land of Aden.  I now sent instructions to Captain Towerson and Mr Davis for their conduct on our arrival at Mokha roads, that our ships and people might be guarded against the treachery of the Turks.  The 12th we were in sight of the high land of Aden, bearing W. by S. ten leagues off.  The 13th, in the evening, we were fourteen leagues eastwards of the entry of the straits, and sixteen leagues west from Aden, and came here to anchor on a fine sandy bottom.  The 14th, we weighed in the morning, steering for the straits, having a small gale at W. by N. with rain, being the first we had seen for four months.  In the evening, believing ourselves off the straits, we stood off and on under easy sail all night, constantly heaving the lead, being eight or nine leagues off the Arabian coast.  About noon of the 15th we opened the straits, and at night anchored in fifteen and a half fathom, on black oose, three leagues from the Arabian, and ten from the Abyssinian shore, the weather being so clear that we could distinctly see both.

[Footnote 410:  The island or islands of Demiti or Mete, are in lat. 11 deg. 45’ N.—­E.]

The 16th we weighed in the morning, and stood for Mokha, where we came to anchor in five and a half fathoms.  Not long after anchoring, the governor sent off a poor old slave in a small canoe, to know the cause of our coming.  I used this man kindly, who told me the English had been lately here, and were ill used by Regib aga, then governor, who was therefore cashiered, and the government was now in the hands of Ider [Hayder] aga, a Greek by birth, who was the friend of strangers and merchants.  Giving him a present of two dollars, I sent him back to his master to tell him we were Englishmen, and friends to the Grand Signior, and, upon sending us a worthy person, we should acquaint him farther of the cause of our coming.  Soon afterwards there came off an Italian renegado, well dressed, with a similar message, and to know if we had the Grand Signior’s pass.  I told him