General Remarks on the Countries, in the Line of Mr. Horneman’s Route.
I shall next proceed to offer some geographical, and other, remarks, on certain of the subjects that present themselves in and about the line of Mr. Horneman’s route; as, 1. The Bahr-bela-ma, and Valley of Mogara. 2. Siwah. 3. The Lesser Oasis. 4. The Valleys of Schiacha and Gegabib. 5. Augila. 6. The Harutsch. 7. Fezzan and Gadamis.
I. The Bahr-bela-ma, and Valley of Mogara.
The term Bahr is well known to signify (in Arabic) an expanse of water, whether sea, lake, or river: and Bahr-bela-ma, a hollow space that is supposed to have contained them: in other words, the sea, lake, or river, without water. In its application to the present subject, it has been understood by some great authorities, to be the ancient bed of a river; and that river, the Nile of Egypt; which they suppose to have quitted its present course, at Benjusef, and, passing through the province of Faiume, and the lake Kairun, entered the sea at the Gulf of the Arabs. Having already given an opinion on this subject, I shall say no more concerning it in this place, than that it is by no means weakened by any thing that has appeared since: that opinion was, “that in ancient times the bed of the 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 Andreossy, 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,[27] came to the Natron Valley at about 32 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 Bahr-el-farigh, which signifies the empty river. These he found to run parallel to each other, in a direction of about NNW ½ W and SSE ½ E, for about 30 miles; and without any appearance of termination, either way. The Natron Valley, he reckons 2½ French leagues, or about 6½ G. miles, in breadth; the other, 3 leagues, or 7¾ such miles; or, both together, from one extreme to the other, more than 14¼. 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 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-bela-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 rather 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;[28] 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 Kairun; from whence they seem to be less than 30 miles distant.
The four hours of travelling, between the station at the Natron Valley, and the foot of the sand hill, does not ill agree with the ground. The breadth of the Natron Valley, 6½ G. miles, is, reckoning the ascent on the west, equal to 3¼ hours travelling; and General Andreossy says, that he was 40 minutes in descending the slope, to the bottom of the Bahr-bela-ma. (Mem. p. 240.) Here then we have made out nearly the four hours: besides, it is not certain that the hollows may not have been crossed obliquely, by Mr. Horneman.