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London 31 Dec. 1801
Dear Sir
The news of your arrival in Egypt gave me very lively pleasure, for it was very long since I had heard of you. I trust that your late visit to Anatolia will furnish the means of clearing up some of the great difficulties that I labor under in compleating the Geography of that interesting Country: such as the Latitude & Longitude of Angoura [Angora now Ankara] & of Amasia [Amasya] & the position of the latter in respect of Samson or of Sinope. Equally in the South my Materials fail me as for want of a Line from Tarsus to Cesarea through Tyana, every thing in that quarter hangs very loosely. But to a more important matter, & one in which you will probably be able to render the most essential services towards Science: I proceed to Egypt - My excellent friend Sir Jos: Banks being now confind to his Bed with Gout, has requested me to furnish you with whatsoever lights I may be able, respecting what Horneman has done, & what we feel to be the most wanted, of such kinds of information as are the most likely to be obtaind. First I shall begin with what Horneman has done, as far we know ourselves, & I have the pleasure to inform you, that I am at this moment, putting together, not only his Route Westward from Egypt to Fezzan, but in working up his Materials for the Interior of Africa. And here I cannot help expressing in the strongest manner the Obligations that Geography owes to you for the valuable Materials in your appendix : for as you & Horneman in respect of the extent of your respective enquiries & Notices overlap each other, I am enabled in a rough way to fill up the space between Darfour Fezzan & Kashna. But I every moment want you both here that I might question you farther, for both of you have rather kept back than been forward in presenting any thing but what you profess to know, thoroughly.
Mr. Horneman proceeded from Cairo pretty straight as we conceived to your old station of Um Sogeir & thence to Seewa in your Line. Thence to Angola apparently by the South of the Route pointed out to Beaufry. And from Angola to Fezzan crossisng the Black Mountains of the Haunish. As your views will necessarily be confind to the neighborhood of Egypt, it will be unnecessary to detail any other part of his Route save that between Cairo & Ammon [now Amman]. In his way he first