small island in the Red Sea, near the coast of Abyssinia, about three quarters of a mile long, and half as broad, one-third of which is occupied by houses, another by cisterns for receiving rain-water, and one reserved for a burial place. It has an excellent harbour, with water sufficiently deep for ships of any size to the very edge of the island; and so well secured, that they may ride in safety, let the wind blow from what quarter or with what degree of strength it will. By the ancients it was called Selajicum Or, and was formerly a place of great consequence on account of its harbour, from whence a very extensive commerce was carried on, and possessed a share of the Indian trade in common with other ports of the Red Sea near the Indian Ocean. A very considerable quantity of valuable goods was also brought thither from the tract of mountainous country behind it, which in all ages has been accounted very inhospitable, and almost inaccessible to strangers. The principal articles of exportation were gold, ivory, elephants, and buffaloes hides; but above all slaves, who, on account of their personal qualifications, were more esteemed than those from any other quarter. Pearls of a considerable size, and of a fine water, are likewise found along the coast; from the abundance of all which valuable commodities, the great defect, a want of water, was forgot, and the inhabitants cheerfully submitted to such a great inconvenience. The island of Massuah fell under the power of the Turks in the time of the emperor Selim, soon after the conquest of Arabia Felix by Sinan Basha, and was for some time governed by an officer from Constantinople. From thence the conquest of Abyssinia was for some time attempted, but always without success. Hence it began to lose its value as a garrison for troops, as it had done in the commercial way after the discovery of the passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope. Being thus deprived of its importance in every respect, the Turks no longer thought it worth while to send a bashaw thither as formerly, but conferred the government upon the chief of a tribe of Mahometans named Belowies, who inhabit the coasts of the Red Sea under the mountains of Habab, in the latitude of about 14° north. On this officer they conferred the title of Naybe; and on the removal of the bashaw, he remained in fact master of the place, though, to save appearances, he pretended to hold it from the Ottoman Porte, by a firman from the Grand Signior for that purpose, and the payment of an annual tribute.

The Turks had originally put into the town of Massuah a garrison of Janizaries; who, being left there on the withdrawing of the bashaw, and intermarrying with the natives, soon became entirely subjected to the Naybe's influence. The latter, finding himself at a great distance from his protectors the Turks, whose garrisons were everywhere falling into decay, and that in consequence of this he was entirely in the power of the emperor of Abyssinia, began to think of taking some method of securing himself on that side. Accordingly it was agreed that one half of the customs should be paid to the Abyssinian monarch; who in return was to allow him to enjoy his government unmolested. Having thus secured the friendship of the emperor of Abyssinia, the Naybe began gradually to withdraw the tribute he had been accustomed to pay to the bashaw of Jidda, to whose government Massuah had been assigned; and at last to pay as little regard to the government of Abyssinia; and in this state of independence he was when Mr Bruce arrived there in 1769 on his way to Abyssinia. This gentleman found both the prince and his people extremely unhospitable and treacherous; so that he underwent a variety of dangers during his residence there, nor was it without great difficulty that he could get away from thence at last.

The island of Massauah, as we have said, is entirely destitute of water; nor can it be supplied with provisions of any kind but from the mountainous country of Abyssinia on the continent. Arkeeko, a large town in the bottom of the bay, has water, but is in the same predicament with regard to provisions; for the adjacent tract of flat land, named Sambar, is a perfect desert, inhabited only from the month of November to April by some wandering tribes, who carry all their cattle to the Abyssinian side of the mountains when the rains fall there. Being thus in the territories of the Abyssinians, it is in the power of the emperor of that country, or of his officer the Baharnagafu, to starve Massauah and Arkeeko, by prohibiting the passage of any provisions from the Abyssinian side of the mountains.

The houses of Massauah are generally constructed of long poles and bent grass, as is usual with other towns of Arabia: only about 20 are of stone, and six or eight of these two stories high. The stones with which they are built have been drawn out of the sea; and in them the bed of that curious mulete found embodied in the solid rock at Mahon is frequently to be seen. These are called dattoli da mare, or sea-dates: but our author never saw any of the fish themselves, though he has no doubt that they may be met with in the rocky islands of Massauah if they would take the trouble of breaking the rocks for them. All the necessaries of life are very dear in this place; and their quality is also very indifferent, owing to the distance from whence they must be brought, and the danger of carrying them through the desert of Sambar, as well as to the extortions of the Naybe himself, who, under the name of custom, takes whatever part of the goods he thinks proper; so the profit left to the merchant is sometimes little or nothing. All the money here is valued by the Venetian sequin; and it is owing to the commercial intercourse with the Arabian coast that any money at all is to be met with on this island or the eastern coast of Africa. Glass beads of all kinds and colours, whether whole or broken, pass for small money.

Though Massauah has now lost very much of its commercial importance, a considerable trade is still carried on from the place. From the Arabian side are imported blue cotton and other cloths; some of them from India being very fine. Other articles are Venetian beads, crystal, looking and drinking glasses, with coloal or crude antimony. These three last articles come in great quantity from Cairo, first in the coffee-ships to Jidda, and then in small barks to the port of Massauah. Old copper is also a valuable article of commerce. The Galla and all the various tribes to the westward of Gondar wear bracelets of this metal, which in some parts of that barbarous country is said to sell for its weight of gold. Here is also a shell, an univalve of the species of volutes, which sells at an high price, and passes for money among the various tribes of Galla. The Banians were once the principal merchants of Massauah; but their number is now reduced to five, who are silver-smiths, and subsist by making ornaments for the women on the continent. They likewise assay gold, but make a poor livelihood.