DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT. 193 
ninety-five miles from the nearest point of the Oa- 
sis. According to Herodotus, it was inhabited by 
a Samian colony, when visited by Cambyses ; a cir- 
cumstance the more probable, as, at that period, $a- 
mos flourished as a maritime power, and enjoyed 
particular immunities from Amasis of Egypt. Ac- 
cording to Strabo, it abounded in springs, and was 
fruitful in vines and other productions. It was 
traversed by Poncet in 1698, on his way to Abys- 
sinia. Maillet, who resided in Egypt about the be- 
ginning of last century, imagined that this territory 
was fertilized by the waters of the Nile, conducted 
across the hills by an ancient canal. He places 
very justly the nearest point of the Oasis to Egypt, 
in the direction of Manfalout, from which Poncet 
commenced his journey. Browne, who traversed 
this Oasis on his journey to Darfur, has contri- 
buted most to the illustration of its position and 
topography, as well as the nature of the soil. 
He determined the geographical position of Charje, 
its principal village, to be in N. lat. £6° 25', E. 
long. £9° 49', and that of Mughess, its most 
southern village, to be situated in N. lat. £5° 18', 
E. long. 29° 34. He gives the names of three 
other villages, Aine Dize, Bulak, and Beiris. * 
The fertile tracts, interrupted by sandy plains, ex- 
tend over a space of one hundred miles in length, 
* Browne's Travels, p. 186- 
VOL. II. N 
