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[Page 3]
it will be a most interesting one. The Valley seen by Horneman is from one to six Miles in breadth, with Pools of Water (bitter in many parts - Marshy tracs of Miles in length in others - & Water (sweet) at the depth of a very few feet - Another such Valley exists on the West of Seewa [also spelt Siwa]. Horneman has confirmd your position of Seewa in point of westing, for your results differ but a very few Miles. The people told him that no other fertile land existed nearer than what must be taken for the lesser Oasis - that is it is 7 days from Seewa 5 from Faiume & a few, perhaps 3 or more South from Biljoradek, a point in the aforementioned Valley at about 120 GM West of Cairo. The Triangles found by these lines are satisfactory, but still it may be possible by enquiry to approximate the position more nearly. It falls in about 28º. 50' & exceedingly near to my position of Bahnasa in the Wah. Ptolomy you know gives the Lesser Oasis at 75 G M West of the Nile & in Latitude 28º.45' The only doubt is whether Biljoradek is placd in its proper parallel, as Hornemann gives no bearings. I have found the people in the East generaly very accurate in pointing out bearings of distant places, & it is possible that some of the Caravan people may be able to point out the bearing for Cairo, which if done tolerably will be of great use to us. The bearing of the Northern part of Oasis may perhaps be obtaind as well as its distance (now no better known than at a few days from Biljoradek} from the latter in a more satisfactory way. It is proper to mention that this place is namd Iahudie as well as Biljoradek - you may recollect that you gave the position of the Southern part of this Oasis (or Algharbi) & by the result of the information the Southern part should be no less than 100 G M or more from the Northern part pointed out by Horneman. Perhaps enquiries may inform us whether the intermediate space is filld up with Islands such as you found in Elwah or otherwise. The Siwahians told H that it was a place less populous than Siwah. Another head of Enquiry relates to the calcareous ridge that extends along or impends over the Greater Oasis: Whether it, in like manner skirts the lesser Oasis, & what becomes of it afterwards. As H. found a flat sandy Desert of several Journeys wide & more in length between the Lesser Oasis & the Long Valley by Biljoradek. By the Bye, this Valley may perhaps better be denominated Mogarra, as the Hills over it are so calld. There are two other places or Stations between