MR. HORNEMAN’S EX PEDITION IN A FRICA. J 5 9
under what disadvantages, and at what hazard, a European traveller
in the interior of Africa, collects his information : and which, the
histories of these gentlemen’s proceedings, now before the Public,
as well as those of their old acquaintance Mr. Park, abundantly
shew.
Mr. Browne’s materials consist of a line of 16 degrees of latitude,
from Cairo to the capital of Darfoor ; corrected by observations of
latitude arid longitude: together with an extension of this line southward,
six degrees farther, by enquiries amongst the natives, and
other travellers, on the spot. His inquiries reached to about the
parallel of 8 degrees north; in which position there were pointed
out to him, the heads of the Bahr Abiad, or fVbite River, taken for
the most remote, and long sought for, head of the E g y p t ia n N il e .
And besides this line, his inquiries were pointed eastward and. southeast,
to the borders of Abyssinia; westward and south-west, to
Bornu; also to other countries, not before heard of in Europe; the
whole forming an extent of more than 15 degrees of longitude.
The line from Cairo to the head of the White River, is in length
upwards of 1360 G. miles : or more than 1440, from the mouth of
the N ile; taken in direct distance. In its bearing, it varies so little
from the meridian, that the head of the river bears only about a
point and a half to the west of south, from the place of its discharge
into the Mediterranean.
This route departing from the Nile at Siout, first passes' through,
and fixes the position of the Greater Oasis; then successively,
through the positions of Sheb, Selim6, Leghea, and Bir-el-Malha, in
the way to Darfoor.