Note 92 — Chapter V
Reading edition
Mr. Bruce reckoned 44½ hours of the caravan (with camels) between Kosire and Kuft (that is Coptos), near Ghinna: Mr. Irwin 46 from Kosire to Banute, situated at the Nile, at five hours above Ghinna. The camel’s rate is 2½ British miles by the road: consequently less than two G. miles in direct distance.
M. Savary had much the same idea of the distance; for he reckons it 33 French leagues. (Vol. ii. letter 2.) But his map has 70 G. miles only: Pocock’s 90.
Mr. Irwin reckons the bearing WNW from Kosire to Ghinna; doubtless by compass. The variation might be 13 to 14 degrees; whence Ghinna would bear W 9° N from Kosire: Banute, which is stated to be about five hours to the south of Ghinna, will therefore by this account bear 1°½ N of W from Kosire. Mr. Irwin was certainly very near the mark; though a little too much northerly. It appears that Banute is in lat. 25° 47′ 30″ in D’Anville, and is 8 min. N of Negada; at which place, Mr. Bruce observed the latitude to be 25° 53′ 30″. Consequently D’Anville is 14 min. too far south in this part. Apply this to Banute, and we have 26° 1′ 30″. Kosire lies in 26° 8′, and Banute is then to the south of it, in reality, by several minutes. At Syene, Mr. Bruce’s latitude is 11 min. north of D’Anville’s. Not to go into extremes, I have taken Banute at 5 min. S of Kosire, Ghinna 3 min. N of it; or 26° 11′. D’Anville places Ghinna in 26° 1′. It was of importance that these parallels of the places should be adjusted.