Nile lay lower than the province of Faiume and it is certain, that
the gap, or outlet at Sakkara, is still above the level of the Nile.
Mr. Horneman’s observations, added to those of General An-
dreossy, and of Mr. Browne, throw some further light on the course
of the hollow bed, or channel in question.
It appears that the General, as well as Mr. Browne,* came to the
Natron Valley at about 33 G. miles to the westward of Terané :
and that the General also found, adjacent to it, on the west, separated
only by a narrow ridge, a second and larger valley, which the
Arabs name Bahr-bela-ma ; and also Babr-el-farigh, which signifies
the empty river. These he found to run parallel to each other, in a
direction of about NNW f W and SSE f T , for about go miles;
and without any appearance of termination, either way. The Natron
Valley, he reckons s | French leagues, or about G. miles, in
breadth ; the other, 3 leagues, or such miles5; or, both together,
from one extreme to the other, more than 14-I See the Mémoires,
p. 239, 240, and also the map.
Mr. Horneman, in his way westward from Cairo, passed the
Natron Valley, at the distance of about 40 G. miles from Cairo';
and, by circumstances, not more than 9 or 10. from the extreme
southern part seen by General Andreossy. At the distance of about
8 miles from the Natron Valley he descended, and came to what he
calls the foot of a sand hill; but it being dark, he could not form
* Mr. Browne, who did not see the Bahr-bela-ma, was told that it lay a day’s
journey to the west of the Natron Lakes ; but unless it takes a turn to the west,
beyond the point where General A. saw it, he must have been misinformed. See an
account of the Bahr-bela-ma in the province of Faiume, in the Geog. Herod, p. 503.
T h e description of these valleys is to be found in the Mémoires sur l'Egypte, p. 212.
any idea of the place itself, or of the adjacent country : he however
■observes, that it will be proper for future travellers to look in this
place, for the course of the Bahr-belà-ma : doubtless, because he
found a deep and capacious hollow ; but concerning which, he gives
no farther intimation. Adverting, therefore, to the description of
General Andreossy, I regard the sand hill father as the ridge that
separates the two valleys or hollows, than as the thing Mr. Horneman
took it for. He says, that they descended the sand hill, in indescribable
disorder ; * which seems to imply a long, as well as a steep
descent : and, leaving the place, before it was light enough to form
a judgment of the nature of it, he only directs the attention of others
to it : surely, because it was a hollow tract.
It may be allowed, therefore, that the Bahr-bela-ma and Natron
Valleys extend 40 or more G. miles, pointing northward to the
Lake Mareotis, or to the Gulf of the Arabs; and on the other hand,
towards the quarter of the lake of K ai run ; from whence they seem
to be less than 30 miles distant.
The four hours of travelling, between the Station at the Natron Val-
ley, and the foot of the sand hill, does not ill agree with the ground.
The breadth of the Natron Valley, 6-- G. miles, is, reckoning the
ascent on the west, equal to 3^ hours-travelling ; arid General Andreossy
says, that he was 40 minutes in descending the slope, to thé
bottom of the Bahr-bela-ma. (Mem. p. 240.) Here then we have
made Sut nearly the four hours : besides, it is not certain that the
hollows may not have been crossed obliquely, by Mr. Horneman.
It appears that M. D’Anville believed the existence of, arid has
expressed on his map of Egypt, a hollow or valley; extending the
This (I am given to understand] is the idea Conveyed in the original Journal-
T