2883, or say 289 G. miles. If these miles were entirely difference of latitude, Mourzouk would not be lower than 27° 22' 2", as Mesurata is said to lie in 32° 10′.

2. Another authority adduced by the same gentleman, allows 23 days from Tripoly, by the way of Gwarian and Sockna, which turns out much the same as the former result. The distance from Tripoly to Fezzan through Mesurata, is 24 days; consequently that by Sockna, is the shortest, although now generally disused, on account of its being unsafe.*

The intersection of the two lines of distance from Augila and Mesurata; that is 395 G. miles from the former, and 289 from the latter, place Mourzouk in latitude 27° 23′; and at go G. miles east of the meridian of Mesurata. Consequently, the bearing will be about S. E, instead of south as reported.

3. Edrisi says, that the distance from Sort to Zuila, is nine journies which, on his scale of 19 per day, are equal to 171 G. miles: and Abulfeda says that they lie N. and S. from each other. Zuila is a point in

*The road by Sockna, seems to be the short road to Phazania, mentioned by Pliny, lib. v. c. 5.

Horneman's route, about 60 G. miles to the E by Nor ENE of Mourzouk: and Sort, according to M. D'Anville, lies in about 30° 28'. Consequently, Zuila, if in the same meridian, should be in latitude 27° 37', or min. to the N. of Mourzouk. By the construction Zuila bears about S 7o W from Sort, which, in respect of the difference of latitude, is much the same thing: and hence, Mourzouk ought not to be to the south of 27° 23′, or thereabouts.

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4. Ledyard was told, that Augila lay west from Siwah; and Wadan, (or Zala,) in the way to Fezzan, WSW from Augila. Horneman gives much the same idea; saying that they went W by S from Augila, at setting out. Unfortunately, Mr. Horneman omits to state the distance between Fezzan and Tripoly, although he travelled it.

5. Zala, (called also Wadan,*) is said by Edrisi, page 40, to be nine days SE from Sort; and midway between Augila and

There are several places of the name of Wadan, in this Geography; the name designing the conflux of two water-courses, or torrents. Another Wadan is found in the road from Mesurata to Fezzan; and a third, between Fezzan and Bournu.

Zuila; that is ten days from both.* A glance at the map will shew how utterly improbable it is, that Mourzouk should be below the parallel of 26°, considering its relative situation to Wadan and Zuila.

Lastly, if it be admitted that Fezzan is the country of the Garamantes, (and I know not where else to look for it, according to the ancient descriptions,) then, its distance from the sea coast, as stated by Strabo, p. 835, at nine or ten days journey, agrees exactly, if reckoned to Garama, the ancient capital. Pliny confirms it strongly, by placing the Garamantes beyond the Mons Ater, (of which more, under the article Harutsch,) which will be proved clearly to mean the rocky Desert of Souda, between Fezzan and Mesurata.

It should be remarked, that this alteration in the position of Mourzouk, which is about 39 miles to the SE of its position in the map of 1798, does not, in any material de

* Mr. Horneman came, on the day before he entered the black Harutsch, to a small wood of green trees. This situation accords with that of Zala, being just midway between Augila and Zuila. No town is known to exist there, at present.

gree, affect the interval of space between it and Tombuctoo.*

• M. D'Anville reckons the distance between Tripoly and Mourzouk 240 G. miles, only: M. Delisle about 280, or less: and Sanuto, who wrote on the African Geography, (A. D. 1588,) 255. Thus, the 289 allowed above, from Mesurata, go beyond the highest calculation hitherto made, from Tripoly, which is yet farther from Mourzouk, than Mesurata is.

CHAPTER II.

General Remarks on the Countries, in the Line of Mr. Horneman's Route.

I SHALL next proceed to offer some geographical, and other, remarks, on certain of the subjects that present themselves in and about the line of Mr. Horneman's route; as, 1. The Babr-bela-ma, and Valley of Mogara. 2. Siwah. 3. The Lesser Oasis, 4. The Valleys of Schiacha and Gegabib. 5. Augila. 6. The Harutsch. 7. Fezzan and Gadamis.

I. The Babr-bela-ma, and Valley of Mogara.

The term Babr is well known to signify (in Arabic) an expanse of water, whether sea, lake, or river: and Babr-bela-ma, a hollow space that is supposed to have contained them in other words, the sea, lake, or river, without water. In its application to the present subject, it has been understood by some great authorities, to be the ancient bed of a river; and that river, the Nile