Though  ftill  boifterous,  the  wind  was  fortunately  fair,  and
we  were  not  many  hours  in  running  the  diftance.  At  twelve
o'clock  we  dropped  our  anchor  in  Mocha  road,  but  were  obliged
to  wait  until  the  weather  moderated,  before  we  ventured  to  de-
bark. The  month  of  April  was  advanced,  but  we  went  afliore
at  Mocha  the  fame  evening,  in  full  confidence  of  being  agreeably
accommodated  to  Suez,  on  board  the  Adventure.  We  looked
only  upon  the  brighter  fide  of  the  perfpeftive ;  as  the  difficulties
and  dangers  annexed  to  a  journey  of  11  or  1200  miles  by  land,
along  a  barren  and  barbarous  coaft,  could  afford  us  no  very
pleafmg  reflections.
Mocha,  the  ancient  capital  of  Arabia  Felix,  is  fituated  upon  a
fandy  foil,  about  12  leagues  from  the  ftraits  of  Babelman-
del, and  in  the  latitude  of  13°  15'  north.  This  city  is  of
great  antiquity,  and  difplays  a  very  handfome  appearance  to-
wards the  fea.     But  its  beauty  will  not  bear  a  clofe  inlpcclion.
B  2  Like


[     4     ]

tj'ike  the  deformities  which  are  fo  frequently  difcovered  beneath
a  fair  exterior,  the  infide  of  its  buildings  is  by  no  means  an-
fvverable  to  the  expe6lations  which  they  raife.  To  furvey  the
defart  on  which  it  ftands,  a  ftranger  muft  be  furprized  at  the
plenty  which  reigns  in  the  markets.  There  is  not  a  tree  within
ken,  that  produces  any  fruit,  but  the  dale,  or  herbage  of  any
kind,  to  fupport  the  cattle  which  are  daily  expofed  for  fale.
