Al-wah-el-Gberbi, was only forty miles distant to the northward.
This being the case, the Lesser Oasis should have an extent of more
than 100 miles from north to south: that is, more than the other
tract, of the same name, denominated the Greater ; but which may,
nevertheless, be true, as the term greater or lesser, may refer to
other qualities than dimensions. Mr. Browne describes the Greater
Oasis (which he had traversed throughout) to consist of large detached
spots or islands, like Siwah, extending in a chain from
N to S, and separated by intervals of desert from two to fourteen
hours of travelling. The Lesser Oasis, most probably, is much
of the same nature; but is, by general report, inferior to the other,
and vastly inferior to Siwah. See an account of the Oases in the
Geog. of Herodotus, Sections xx. and xxi.
Mr. Browne adds, that the Lesser Oasis is a kind of capital settlement
of the Muggrebine (or western) Arabs, who pass from it,
to the western extremity of the lake Kairun ; whose shore, on that
side, is also in their possession. (Pages 132, 170.)
Thus, our modern travellers have fixed, pretty satisfactorily, in
the view of general geography, the positions of all the three Oases :
but it would be more satisfactory to have correctly the latitude ot
the northern extremity of the Lesser one, as well as some account
of the number and position of the islands contained in it.
IV. Valleys of Scbiacba, and Gegabib.
At the distance of about three days journey to the westward of
Siwah, Mr. Homeman came to Sebiacba, a fruitful valley on t e
right; and, as appears from a circumstance that occurred during
the unpleasant visit of the Siwahans, there were m a n y little bogs,
in the neighbourhood of their camp, in that valley. Again, at six
hours farther, was Tdrfaue, where they also obtained fresh water.
Moreover, in the way from Siwah to Schiacha, at the distance of
6 or 7 miles from the former, he saw at the foot of the hills, a lake,
implied to be of fresh water, (see Journal, page 57,) of several miles
in extent.
Combining with this, the remark of Mr. Homeman, that they had
travelled by a chain of hills from Siwah; that these hills were a continuation
of those which they had always seen to the northward of
their route through the Desert; and that they “ rose immediately
from the level ground of the Desert, without any declivity, and
without any arenacious, or other cover, only the bare rock being
seen;” one may conclude, that the valley described, at the foot of
these hills, is much of the same nature, with that of Mogara.
Moreover, it appears, that he considered the whole extent of the
hills, from the Bahr-bela-ma to Schiacha, at least, as one continued
ridge; and which has an abrupt declivity to the south. The continuity,
however, remains to be proved.
The remarkable valley of Gegabib, famous for its dates, cannot be
far from the neighbourhood of Scbiacba and Tojfaue; since Mr.
Browne says, page 26, that when he had advanced two joumies to
the north-westward of Siwah, he was not far from Gegabib. Mr.
Beaufoy calls it, from the description of Ben Ali, “ a narrow plain,
sandy, and uninhabited, but fertile in dates ;" which/he adds, are
gathered by the people of Duna on the sea coast, eight joumies
distant.* As Mr. Horneman remarked no date trees on his way
* (See Proceed. Afr. Assoc. 1790, ch. x.) T h e sea coast is truly about eight jour-
nies from Gegabib: but I know o f no place o f the name of Duna. Derna is twice
that distance.
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