jjo Mr . Rennell o« the Kate of 
ordinary advantage, the geography of a continent muft necef- 
farily be flow in its progrefs towards maturity ; we, therefore, 
can only expert to witnefs its early infancy ; and cannot, from 
a view of the prefent, allow ourfelves to predict what its 
future features may be. Let it be our care, however, to fofter 
it ; and contribute all within our power towards its improve- 
ment and perfection. 
In a cafe where there is fo little probability, even in a long 
courfe of time, of obtaining many fixed points by celeftial 
obfervations (though 1 hope that one at leaft will be attempted 
in the central part of Africa, in our time), it is fortunate that 
the mode of travelling happens to be fuch, as ferves to furnilh 
a remarkably equal fcale : the rate of the camel’s movement 
appearing to be, beyond all others, the leaft variable ; whether 
we examine it by portions of days, or of hours. In the prefent 
ftate of things, the former mode alone can be ufed ; becaufe 
few or none of the African travellers carry watches with them : 
but it may be hoped, that at no very diftant period, the time 
employed on the road may be obtained with fuch a degree of 
exa&nefs, as to furnilh the geographer with materials of a far 
better kind, than any of thofe, formed on computation, that 
have hitherto been exhibited. 
Thefe remarks occurred on the refult of an examination, 
which (though for a different purpofe) i lately made into the 
rate of the camel’s movement on the Arabian defert, between 
Aleppo, Bagdad, and Buflbrah : for it appeared to me, that if 
the African caravans are compofed of the fame kind of camels, 
and are governed in their motions and ceconomy by the fame 
circumftances, as thofe which crofs the Arabian deferts; there 
is no fcale, of the computed kind, that can be more applicable 
to the African geography, than that formed on the camel’s rate 
