Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/28

20 obtain convoy for the Marian as far as Mosambique, in consequence of a representation I had occasion to make to the Admiral, respecting the dangers to be apprehended, from French privateers in that channel, which fortunately happened to coincide with other important views, entertained by him, somewhat connected with the same quarter.

The vessels appointed for this service were the Racehorse, and Staunch brigs of war, commanded by Captains Fisher and Street. The former obligingly offered me a passage on board his vessel, as far as Mosambique: which I gladly accepted, and on the 27th of July the three ships left Simon's Bay, on their destination. I shall pass over the first part of our voyage; as nothing particular occurred worthy of notice, except a violent storm of thunder and lightning on the 5th of August, in latitude 33° 38′, which was tremendously awful.

I shall now proceed to describe the events, which took place in our passage, through the Mosambique channel.

On the 15th of August we made the land, between the Capes Corrientes, and St. Sebastian. As we approached the shore, we had soundings from 35 to 25 fathoms on a steep bank. The current in this place ran strong to the southward, impeding our course, not less than sixty miles in the twenty-four hours. The season being late, and the weather rather unsettled, Captain Fisher, anxious to lose as little time as possible, dispatched the Staunch and Marian, on the evening of the 16th, direct to Mosambique, while we proceeded along shore, in the Racehorse, for the purpose of visiting Sofala. On the 17th, we made Cape St. Sebastian, a moderately high bluff point, from which a low sandy beach extends out to the north-east; during the day we stretched along shore, keeping it at about four miles distant, and afterwards passed close to the Bazaruto Islands, which are apparently connected by reefs of rocks to each other, and to the coast. At night we stood off to sea.

On the 18th of August, standing in shore, we came into good soundings of twenty, fifteen, and twelve fathoms on the Sofala bank; and while searching for the harbour we discovered a long reef of rocks, over which the sea was breaking, which we supposed to be the one laid