212 Geographical Ohfervations in the Inland Country 



at proper Diftaiices, to dire6t the Caravans in their Marches 

 over It. Without fuch Afliftances, travelling would be here 

 both dangerous and difficult, as well from the Variety of Pits 

 and Quickfands, that could not otherwife be avoided ; as be- 

 caufe the oppofite Shore, (as we may call It,) either in paf- 

 fing from Te-gewfe to the Province of Ntf-zowah, or from 

 hence to Te-gewfe, have no other Tokens to be known by, but 

 their Date Trees. And as Thefe are rarely feen at above iix- 

 teen Miles Diftance ; great Miftakes might be committed in 

 paffing over a Plain of this Extent, (where the Horizon is as 

 proper for Aftronomical Obfervations, as at Sea ;) without fuch 

 convenient Marks and Directions. 

 The Extent of This Lake reacheth near twenty Leagues from E. to W. 

 ^'' and the Breadth, where I pafled It, was about fix. Yet it may 



be obferved, that it is not all of It a Collection of Water; there 

 being feveral dry Places, which^ like fo many Iflands, are in- 

 terfperfed all over It. To the Eaftward efpecially, in the fame 

 Meridian with Telemeen, there is One, which, though unin- 

 habited, is very large and well ftocked with Date Trees. The 

 u4rahs tell us that the Egyptians, in one of their Invafions of 

 this Country, halted fome Time at this Place ; and that thefe 

 Trees originally fprung from the Stones of thofe Dates, which 

 the Army brought along with them for their Provilions. 

 The palus The Situation of this Lake with regard to the Sea, the Syrtes, 

 V.^ll.ll.r and the River Triton, fhould induce us to take It for the Talus 

 ^*^' p- 1,-*^- Tritonts of the Antients ; and that the Ifland I have mention- 

 1^4. D. p. 19. ed is the Thla, which is defcribed by Herodotus, and shtCherfo- 

 a.b" nefus' of the Sicilian MiGiormn. Tallas^ likewiih, who, with 



Phla Ini •-' 



Exc. p.i,D. tliQ Lj>Man Women, attended Sefoftris in His Afiatic Expedi- 

 tion and is fuppofed to owe Her Origine to this Lake, 

 might have had Her chief Refidence in This Situation. Mela 

 placeth the Talus Trttonis near or upon the Sea-Coaft ; and 

 Callimachus, (as He is quoted by Tliny ^ ) on This, (i. e. as I 

 take it, on the Cj/renaic) Side of the leiTer Syrtis-, both which 

 Circumftances agree with the prefent Geography of this Lake. 

 The Triple Wc may like wife account for the triple Divilion that Ttolemy 

 n^Exc'./i4. maketh of this Lake, by taking that Part of It, which reacheth 



D. 



I Tif i"' Sf A^a^ofrtf ** nvrnt -mm y-iyafMr ifiif "f 'KinyiJhs k'iijlviK nr &s r '^y.a.TQr ovofM^m ^Hoynnr. 

 Diod. Sic. Hift. l.j. p. 130. 2 Tm/ A^ySiv funfif <ae9 nTvy ^ "i-^vm •^yi'J/Ja \yi'f{Jtii^m'\ <ixtm<w ^ 7tJ 

 TfiTuyQf miaifHt Ji' 9r r^TfiTVfiJk ve^nyofHh!^, Id. ibid. l.j. p.142. J Ex(. p. 22. A. B. 



from 



