Mr. Browne ; but which differs, as has been shewn, only 41- miles
from the other.
It is proper to be remarked, that the people of Siwah, report the
distance of Cairo, from that place, to be twelve journies only : but
it becomes necessary to inquire what kind of journies these are, in
order to turn this, and other reports of the same kind to use. These
journies then, are meant for those of light travellers, going few in
number together ; and not of,caravans, where, amongst a number of
camels, there must of course be some of slow pace, (to which the
whole caravan must, of necessity, conform,) not to mention the
increased number of delays by accidents. The people of Siwah
reported the length of the following journies, which are in point :
Siwah to Charje, in the Greater Oasis , - i • - 12 days, v
Derna - - 14-
Faiume (through the Lesser Oasis) - 12
■Càiro - ititi» ' - —'i'i ii: — ' 13
A mean of these, gives about 20,6 per day ; the journies to Charje
and Faiume giving 19^, the others 21 j-.* As Siwah lies directly
between Derna and the (Greater Oasis, we have one line of 26 days,
pretty satisfactorily determined in point of distance, and here the
result is 20,6 also. Twelve such days would give only 247, of
course, for the distance between Cairo and Siwah : so that a rateof
2 i§ is required. Pliny; lib. v. c. 9, reports twelve journies between
Memphis and Ammon, requiring a rate of 21 per day. "
There is yet another statement Of the distance, and that is, fifteen
ordinary caravan journies, taken at i6 f or 16%: The result is 247^;
about equal to the 12 days of light travelling.
* The ordinary caravan day of 8 hours, appears to be about 20 British miles, hy
the road; and in direct distance across deserts, about l6 | or i6 { Geographic miles.
Possibly, I have taken the distance rather too high, at 25'cfè ; but
I know not how to do away Mr. Browne's line from the neighbourhood
of Parsetonium, considering that Mr. Homeman must have
given bis time from recollection. At all events, Siwah cannot be
many miles out,' in its longitude ; ’but whilst the longitudes of the
places on the sea coast remain in a state of uncertainty, one is not
likely to get nearer the truth.
Mr. Browne appears to have been 17 days from his station in
lat. 28’ 40', and not far to the SW of Siwah, to Alexandria. A rate
of 15 Ì miles is the result; but Mr. Browne being exceedingly ill,
the whole way, it is most probable that his attendants relaxed in
their speed.
II. Siwab to Augila. 1,
Mr. Homeman’s time from Siwah to Augila is 87^ hours,* which,
at 3,05 G. miles, give 179,35 : but taken on the road distance at
2\ B. miles, as before, i8i±. Taken on Horneman’s 11 mean days,
at 16-j, it is also 181I-. - The Arabian geographers reckon it 10 days,
implied of 19 G. miles each, equal to 190. Herodotus also allows
10 days between Ammon and Augila.
It is certain, that Mr. Beaufoy's MSS. allow 13 days hy the route
of Gegabib (the Valley of Dates), which, by Mr. Browne's information,
lies to the NW of Siwah, whilst the ordinary route, by Schiacha,
* Siwah to the Valley of Schiacha - 33 hours.
T o Torfaue - vvt
Across the Desert to a watering-place on the border of Augila 49
T o Augila - „ ■ _ - 9