342 
ON DISTANCES TRAVELLED. — SIKKLONIANI. 
10 July, 
A traveller, therefore, who would adopt this method of ascertain- 
ing distances, would be careful to note down in his memorandum 
book, not only the number of revolutions at different times ; but the 
times by his watch, when the waggon first moves on, and when it 
arrives at the station ; besides keeping an account of the time lost 
by occasionally halting on the road. 
An apparatus of clock-work on the principle of the perambulator, 
may, on smooth roads, as it does in Europe, answer this purpose, and 
be attended with much less trouble ; but a similar contrivance would 
very soon be put out of order, by the violent jolts which a waggon 
receives in travelling over a wild and rugged country : and if the 
strong iron-work of the vehicle itself, is not always able to resist 
these shocks, it is to be feared that slighter mechanism would fail 
also. The experiment, however, is worth trying. 
The sun had already sunk below the horizon, before we reached 
our next station. This spot, called by the natives Sikklonidm, was a 
collection of small grassy ponds of clear and excellent water, sup- 
plied by constant springs which rose at the bottom of them. They 
were surrounded by a grove or wood of acacias, which rendered the 
situation exceedingly pleasant, as well as convenient. Hither, and 
to many other similar fountains which are found in these plains, the 
inhabitants of Litakun bring their cattle during the dry season, 
and having erected temporary huts, take up their abode till the 
country nearer the town has regained its verdure. At this time, 
however, we found no one residing here : and as I had noticed that 
the ponds were frequented by numerous flocks of water-fowl, I 
determined to halt a day, in hope of being able to add some new 
birds to my collection. 
The latitude of this spot, was found to be 27". 9'. 2V\ * While 
watching till the star, from which this observation was taken, should 
come to the meridian, I discovered that we had a day too much in 
our reckoning ; and that instead of this, as we supposed, being 
* At Sikklonianiy on the 10th of July, 1812, the observed altitude of « Centauri, 
was 57\ 5'. 57". 
