Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/577

 Africa. Its forbidding aspect naturally inspired terror in the Portuguese mariners of the fifteenth century, when compelled by their instructions to follow a treacherous seaboard, which had already been sighted before them by the Phœnicians and French navigators from Dieppe. Cape Nun, or "Non," was so named, said these seafarers, playing on the word, because the sea echoed "Non" (No!) to any vessel,

attempting to round the point. According to another legend, those white mariners who sailed beyond it into the southern waters had all returned black.

From this dreaded headland to Cape Juby, from Cape Juby to Parchel or Bojador, and thence to Cape Blanco, the aspect of the coast changes little for a total distance of about 720 miles. The projecting promontories are indistinctly marked on the horizon, while the inland heights present everywhere the same monotonous appearance of uniform tablelands or sandy hills. The grey dunes and low brown beach, almost undistinguishable from the muddy surf, scarcely anywhere