The country is level, and seemingly uncultivated, but has not so desert a look as about Yambo. I should suspect by its appearance, and the freshness of its water, that it rained at times in the mountains here, for we were now considerably within the tropic, which passes very near Ras el Himma, whereas Rabac is half a degree to the southward. On the 2d, at five o’clock in the morning, we sailed from Rabac, with a very little wind, scarcely making two knots an hour. At half past nine, Deneb bore east and by south from us. This place is known by a few palm-trees. The port is small, and very indifferent, at least for six months of the year, because it lies open to the south, and there is a prodigious swell here. At one o’clock we passed an island called Hammel, about a mile off; at the same time, another island, El Memisk, bore east of us, about three miles, where there is good anchorage. At three and three quarters, we passed an island called Gawad, a mile and a quarter south-east of us. The main bore likewise south-east, distant something more than a league. We here changed our course from south to W. S. W. and at four o’clock came to an anchor at the small island of Lajack. The 3d, we sailed at half past four in the morning, our course W. S. W. but it fell calm; after having made about a league, we found ourselves off Ras Hateba, or the Woody Cape, which bore due east of us. After doubling the cape, the wind freshening, at four o’clock in the afternoon we anchored in the port of Jidda, close upon the key, where the officers of the custom-house immediately took possession of our baggage. [Illustration: _Arab Shekh; Tribe Beni Koreish._ _Heath Sc:_ _London Publish’d Dec^r. 1^{st}. 1789. by G. Robinson & Co._] CHAP. XI. _Occurrences at Jidda--Visit of the Vizir--Alarm of the Factory--Great Civility of the English trading from India--Polygamy--Opinion of Dr Arbuthnot ill-founded--Contrary to Reason and Experience--Leave Jidda._ The port of Jidda is a very extensive one, consisting of numberless shoals, small islands, and sunken rocks, with channels, however, between them, and deep water. You are very safe in Jidda harbour, whatever wind blows, as there are numberless shoals which prevent the water from ever being put into any general motion; and you may moor head and stern, with twenty anchors out if you please. But the danger of being lost, I conceive, lies in the going in and coming out of the harbour. Indeed the observation is here verified, the more _dangerous_ the _port_, the _abler_ the _pilots_, and no accidents ever happen.