The journal of Frederick Horneman's travels, from Cairo to Mourzouk, the capital of the kingdom of Fezzan, in Africa, in the years 1797-8

by Friedrich Hornemann

[16]The ordinary caravan day of 8 hours, appears to be about 20 British miles, by the road; and in direct distance across deserts, about 16¼ or 16½ Geographic miles.

[17]

Siwah to the Valley of Schiacha	23	hours.
To Torfaue	6½
Across the Desert to a watering-place on the border of Augila	49
To Augila	9
Total	87½

[18]Abulfeda and Ptolemy describe it to be so; and Ledyard was told the same at Cairo.

[19]This is the computation:

		Hours.
From Augila to the Mountains ofMoraije		26
To the Plain of Sultin		18
Across the Plain or Desert ofSultin, &c. to a woody tract, 3 journies; but no account inhours, say		34
To the entrance of the black Harutsch, about 1 day,say		10
To a watering-place in the Harutsch		4
To the end of the black Harutsch, 3½ days; say		40
Through the white Harutsch, 1½ day; say		15
To a watering-place on the borders of Fezzan		4
To	Temissa	9
	Zuila	6¾
	Hamarra	7
	Tragan	10¾
	Sidi Bisher	8
	Mourzouk	3
		195½

The road distance, at 2¼ British miles per hour, gives 488¾, which, at ¹⁄₂₀ part for windings, as before, would give 463½; or in G. miles about 409. I have deducted 14 for the extraordinary windings and roughness of the paths, in the black Harutsch.

Remains G. miles 395, for the direct distance between Augila and Mourzouk.

[20]Herodotus has a line of distance from Thebes, westward, in intervals of 10 days each, but very inaccurate.

[21]The former statement of the distance, (in the Geog. Herod. p. 167.) is 861. The 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.