beginning at India, comes to an end at this point in the Roman domain.
And there is a city called Aelas on its shore, where the sea comes to an
end, as I have said, and becomes a very narrow gulf. And as one sails
into the sea from there, the Egyptian mountains lie on the right,
extending toward the south; on the other side a country deserted by men
extends northward to an indefinite distance; and the land on both sides
is visible as one sails in as far as the island called Iotabe, not less
than one thousand stades distant from the city of Aelas. On this island
Hebrews had lived from of old in autonomy, but in the reign of this
Justinian they have become subject to the Romans. From there on there
comes a great open sea. And those who sail into this part of it no
longer see the land on the right, but they always anchor along the left
coast when night comes on. For it is impossible to navigate in the
darkness on this sea, since it is everywhere full of shoals. But there
are harbours there and great numbers of them, not made by the hand of
man, but by the natural contour of the land, and for this reason it is
not difficult for mariners to find anchorage wherever they happen to be.

This coast[25] immediately beyond the boundaries of Palestine is held by
Saracens, who have been settled from of old in the Palm Groves. These
groves are in the interior, extending over a great tract of land, and
there absolutely nothing else grows except palm trees. The Emperor
Justinian had received these palm groves as a present from Abochorabus,
the ruler of the Saracens there, and he was appointed by the emperor
captain over the Saracens in Palestine. And he guarded the land from
plunder constantly, for both to the barbarians over whom he ruled and no
less to the enemy, Abochorabus always seemed a man to be feared and an
exceptionally energetic fellow. Formally, therefore, the emperor holds
the Palm Groves, but for him really to possess himself of any of the
country there is utterly impossible. For a land completely destitute of