Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/144

 There is a native eloquence about these people which gives their speeches on such occasions a peculiar interest. I was a good deal struck with the warmth and apparent sincerity of his manner and parted from him with considerable regret, as he had risen greatly in my estimation upon a more intimate acquaintance with his character. With regard to my opinion of the Dola, it remained unaltered.

On the 20th January, Wursum's boat fortunately returned from Mocha with an ample supply of cloth, rice, and other articles, which enabled me to reward all the natives who had in any degree been of service to us; and, on the 22d, preparations were made for our departure from Amphila. Before I quit it, it may not be amiss to introduce a few general remarks, made during my stay on the spot, respecting the islands, the coast and its inhabitants.

The Bay of Amphila comprises an extent of sixteen miles along the coast, and from its outer island measures nearly twelve miles in depth, containing altogether thirteen islands, the native names of which, as far as they could be ascertained, are given in the chart.

All these islands, excepting a small one in the middle of the Bay, are composed entirely of marine alluvies strongly cemented together and forming vast and solid masses, which may not improperly be termed rock. The surface being covered in parts only, with a thin layer of soil. The larger portion of these remains consists of corallines, madrepores, echini and a great variety of sea-shells of those species which appear to be still common in this sea. The heighth of the islands often exceeds thirty feet above the level of high-water mark, a circumstance which renders it difficult to account for the process by which they have been formed.

Mr. Dalrymple's hypothesis respecting the formation of coral islands has been very generally admitted to be correct, and indeed seems to account very satisfactorily for those not elevated more than one or two feet above the level of the ocean; since the moment one point of coral rises to its surface, birds will of course resort to it, and there leave shells, bones, and other remains of their