182%. | 
portion of the globe. He continued his 
interesting work down to the final es- 
tablishment of the Grand Duchy, since 
which epoch, Tuscany, deprived of any 
national representation, and forming 
no pvlitical consideration, or indeed 
very little in the scale of Europe, has 
ceased to be an object of attraction for 
the politician, but continues the de- 
light of the muses and the learned. 
Pignotti finished his historical la- 
bours at a time when the late Emperor 
of the French subjected all works to a 
censure at a distance of 300 leagues 
from the place of their birth ; to obviate 
which, this history was reserved for 
happier times, and only upon the res- 
toration of the present reigning sove- 
reign of Tuscany, Ferdinand III. was 
this elegant preduction given to the 
world. Pignotti was now no more; his 
History of Tuscany is, therefore, a pos- 
thumous work: but Ferdinand, ever 
mindful of his transcendant merits as 
the very Michael-Angelo of literature, 
caused a statue to be erected to his me- 
mory in that sacred depository of the 
great and the illustrious, the Campo 
Santo of Pisa. B. 
—a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
R. MURRAY, in his interesting 
account of the progress of geo- 
graphical discovery in Asia, for which 
his readers must feel themselves under 
great obligations, has not mentioned 
the route of CAPTAIN ROBERT RAYNE 
across the northern desart of Arabia 
and Chaldea. Possessing what I be- 
lieve to be the original MS. account of 
this journey, I thought it would be ac- 
ceptable to the public, at the present 
time, as the Persian army is said to 
have already crossed the Euphrates at 
Bassora, for the purpose of occupying 
the Asiatic dominions of the Turks. I 
should, therefore, be obliged by your 
inserting it in your valuable Miscel- 
lany. The ancient geography of this 
part of the world is enveloped in much 
obscurity, and the Chaldzi montes of 
Ptolemy would appear by this route to- 
be as much misplaced as the Croker 
mountains of Captain Ross. 
SAMUEL RoorTsEy. 
Bristol, Dec. 18th, 1821. 
JOURNAL, 
March 18. From LAaTIcHEA,* road to- 
lerable for 20 miles,then a deep de- 
scent the Cafar 25 
* Laodicea of the ancients. 
Captain Rayne’s Roule across the Desart of Arabia. 
119 
March 19. Road narrow paths, scragey 
rocks, romantic myrtle and laurels.* 
Shogle+ 20 
— 20. First part hills and vallies ; no 
trees ; olive plantations near Edilip 24 
— 21. Plain open country ; no trees, 
Marah{ 10 
— 22. Open country to Kauntemaun 15 
——.Smallriver; rocksto ALEPPO§ 7 
Total 101 
May 20. Course E.SE. Road open and 
stony ; wild thyme; sage and bar- 
ley ; a well of brackish water at 
Ain il Sable 
— 22. E.SE. Road stony soil; a rivu- 
let; good forage and water at 
Nahr il daheb 6 
— 29. SE. by E. Road stony soil ; good 
forage; aromatic herbs ; little good 
water c Karibee|| 3 
— 30. SE. by E. Road stony soil ; open 
country ; a well of good water; 
good forage ; liquorice roots 
KasafG 2 
Junel. ESE. Open country; soil 
sandy; aromatic herbs, and good 
14 
forage ; no water : 12 
— 2.SE. Open country ; gravelly soil; 
good forage for the camels only; 
no water . : 5 722 
— 3. SE. by E. Open country ; little 
forage ; hills and wells of bad water 
at 4 Auboomauntul 17 
— 4. ESE. Hills on both sides of the 
road ; barren country ; no water 17 
— 5. SE. by E. Plain road ; on each 
side hills; barren soil; good water 
and forage at Tibil 18 
111 
— 7. SE. by E. Open road ; good fo- 
rage; soil light and gravelly; no 
water ; 3 . 24 
— 8. SE. Open road; good forage ; 
soil sandy and gravelly; no water 23 
— 9. E.SE. Road good; soil hard and 
little forage ; wells of bad water, 
Gibul Gannun 20 
— 10. SE. Road rising ground; soil 
gravelly and loose stones; some 
forage ; no water : 18 
—11. ESE. Hilly country ; soil gra- 
velly, and good forage ; no water 17 
-— 12. SE. by E., and N. by W. Road 
rising ground; good forage and 
* Probably part of “* that sweet grove of 
Daphne, by Orontes.’’—Milton, 
+ Selucia ad Belum. 
{ Probably the Macra of Strabo. 
§ Notwithstanding some weak objections 
that have been raised, I believe this place 
to be the ancient Chalybon, and the Helbon 
of Ezek, 27. 
|| Perhaps the Acaraba, v. Cellar, map. 
q Perhaps Asaph. 
water 
