In 1879 Gordon rode 2,230 miles through the desert on camels. In three years- 1877, 1878, 1879- he rode 8,490 miles. His average day’s journey was 32 1/2 miles.
-Colonel Gordon in Central Africa, 1874-1879, George Birkbeck Hill, ed.
The distance from Al Nahud to Binban is 1,200 miles which we made in 43 days, albeit some of them more grazing days than driving days, they being a lot more tiring than riding days alone, at a daily average of 28 miles. This lasted only a bit over a month, so when I hear that Gordon out distanced our Dabouka by five miles a day and kept that pace for 3 years, I can only say that he deserves every bronze statue erected in his honor, cum or sans camel, of which there are many.