(29) The next place mentioned by our author after +Kanê+ is a Bay called +Sakhalîtes+, which terminates at +Suagros+, a promontory which looks eastward, and is the greatest cape in the whole world. There was much difference of opinion among the ancient geographers regarding the position of this Bay, and consequently regarding that of Cape +Suagros+. 30. Now at this gulf is a promontory, the greatest in the world, looking towards the east, and called +Suagros+, at which is a fortress which protects the country, and a harbour, and a magazine to which the frankincense which is collected is brought. Out in the open sea, facing this promontory, and lying between it and the promontory of +Arômata+, which projects from the opposite coast, though nearer to +Suagros+, is the island going by the name of +Dioskoridês+, which is of great extent, but desert and very moist, having rivers and crocodiles and a great many vipers, and lizards of enormous size, of which the flesh serves for food, while the grease is melted down and used as a substitute for oil. This island does not, however, produce either the grape or corn. The population, which is but scanty, inhabits the north side of the island—that part of it which looks towards the mainland (_of Arabia_). It consists of an intermixture of foreigners, Arabs, Indians, and even Greeks, who resort hither for the purposes of commerce. The island produces the tortoise,—the genuine, the land, and the white sort: the latter very abundant, and distinguished for the largeness of its shell; also the mountain sort which is of extraordinary size and has a very thick shell, whereof the underpart cannot be used, being too hard to cut, while the serviceable part is made into moneyboxes, tablets, escritoires, and ornamental articles of that description. It yields also the vegetable dye (κιννάβαρι) called Indicum (or Dragon’s-blood), which is gathered as it distils from trees. (30) Some would identify the latter with Ras-el-Had, and others on account of the similarity of the name with Cape +Saugra+ or +Saukirah+ [lat. 18° 8´ N., long. 56° 35´ E.], where Ptolemy places a city +Suagros+ at a distance of 6 degrees from +Kanê+, But +Suagros+ is undoubtedly Ras Fartak [lat. 15° 39´ N., long 52° 15´ E.], which is at a distance of 4 degrees from +Hisn Ghorab+, or +Kanê+, and which, rising to the height of 2,500 feet on a coast which is all low-lying, is a very conspicuous object, said to be discernible from a distance of 60 miles out at sea. Eighteen miles west from this promontory is a village called Saghar, a name which might probably have suggested to the Greeks that of +Suagros+. Consistent with this identification is the passage of Pliny (VI. 32) where he speaks of the island +Dioscoridis+ (Sokotra) as distant from +Suagros+, which he calls the utmost projection of the coast, 2,240 stadia or 280 miles, which is only about 30 miles in excess of the real distance, 2,000 stadia.