M. Delisle states the distance at about 405, or 10 more than the
above result. He probably collected it from the Journals of modem
travellers, as the Arabian geographers allow no less than twenty of
their journies between Augila and Zuila, which place is about 60 G.
miles short of Mourzouk.
I shall here set forth the reports of divers persons, respecting
the distance between Cairo and Fezzan; which has been taken
above, chiefly on the report of Mr. Horneman: and, when reduced
to a straight line comes out 829 G. miles.
Messrs. Browne and Ledyard state the distance to be fifty caravan
days ; which at 16^, give 825 G. miles.
Edrisi allows forty journies, between Cairo and Tamest (Temissa).
These, at 19 each, are equal to 760 G. miles : to which, if 73 are
added, as Horneman allows, from Temissa to Mourzouk, the total is
833. This route leads through Bahnasa, in the Lesser Oasis ; and,
by circumstances, near Siwah also ; as a river occurs at eight days
from Bahnasa. Thence it goes to the south of Augila, and by
Seluban, which may be intended for the Plain of Sultin.*
It is obvious, that if Augila should lie yet more to the south, or
nearer in a line between Cairo and Fezzan, this would lengthen the
whole line of distance ; and that by 10 or 12 miles.
windings, as before, would give 4^3f i-or O . miles about 409* ^ bave deducted 14
for theextraordinary windings and roughness of the paths, in the black Harutsch.
Remains G . miles 395, for-the direct distance between Augila and Mourzouk.
* Herodotus has a line of distance from Thebes, westward, in intervals of 10 days
each, but very inaccurate.
The comparison of the different authorities, then, is as follows :
By Horneman, - - - - 8291
By Browne and, _L ed, yard. , - - o f mean 827 bN 825 J
By Edrisi, (direct) - 833
By Edrisi and Abulfeda, reckoned from Siwah
only, and thence through Augila and Zala 877
By the bearing and distance from Mesurata 854*
Thus Homeman’s account falls short of the interval between
Cairo and Mourzouk, when the latter is placed in reference to Mesurata,
by 25 miles only; and the reported caravan distance falls only
four short of Horneman's. The reports of the Arabian geographers
ought not to be put in competition with either.
IV. Respecting the Position of Mourzouk, Capital of Fezzan.
Mr. Horneman. in his Journal transmitted from Tripoly, states
the latitude of Mourzouk, by observation, to be 250 54' 15"-; a
parallel so different from the result of the other authorities, that it
becomes necessary to examine those authorities, minutely. The
reported observation, differs nearly two degrees from the parallel
assigned it in the Proceedings of the Association printed in 1798.
Without attempting to account for so great an (apparent) error, I
shall proceed to adduce the authorities for its parallel, as assumed in
the present map.
1. Mr. Beaufoy, from the information of certain Tripoline merchants,
has given 17^ journies of the caravan, in a direct south
* Th e former statement of the distance, (in the Geog. Herod, p. 167.) is 861.
T h e difference is occasioned by the different modes of projection of the maps ; that
in Herodotus, being on a spherical projection, the present one being rectilinear.
/S s