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behen was observed by Rauwolf pl. 288 in Syria ; is termed “ jacea orientalis patula carthami fncie
flore luteo magno” by Tournefort cor. 32; and was observed by Sibthorp on Cyprus.
Rheum ribes of the mountains of Syria and Persia. The “ ribas” of Ishak ben Amran,—
Elbasri, Avicenna, Edrisi, Sandhasar, Mesue electuar., and Abd-allatif, mentioned by Ebn Baitar as
growing in Syria, is referred here by Sontheimer, and R oyle: “ rob ribas from Greece and Syria,”
is enumerated by Forskal mat. med. as imported into Egypt. R. ribes is described from imported
specimens by Gronovius, Dillenius elth. pl. 15S, and Desfontaines ann. mus. i. pl. 49; but according
to Lindley, is not medicinal (see Ribes uva-crispa). *
Nauclea ovalifolia of Eastern Hindustan. Called in Bengalee “ shal ” or “ shala ; ” in which we
recognize the “ sch al” of Ishak ben Amran, — Elminhadsch, Ebn Dschezia, and Avicenna, described
as an Indian quince by Ebn Baitar: N. ovalifolia is described in the Hortus Bengalensis 14, and by
.Roxburgh ii. 125, and Piddington 206 (J. F. Wats, index).
Garcima fnmigostana of the Equatorial portion of the Malayan archipelago. The “ jawzjan-
dum ” of Ishak ben Amran, — Rhazes, Ebn Joljol, Avicenna, Ali ben Razn, and Ebn Baitar, is
referred here by Sontheimer. Eastward, G. mangostana is enumerated by Mason v. p. 447 as
“ exotic” in Burmah, called “ men-gu,” and “ cultivated to a considerable extent in Mergui ” or to
N . Lat. 13°: mangosteen fruit was seen by myself only under the Equator at Singapore. G. mangostana
was observed in the wild state by Rumphius 1. p. 133 on Saleya. By European colonists,
was carried to Hindustan, where Roxburgh was unable to obtain fruit beyond N. Lat. 23° 30' ; to
the environs of Bombay more recently (Graham, and Nimmo) ; and to Jamaica, where the fruit is
decidedly inferior (Macfad., and A. Dec.),
“ The same year” (N ico l), Louis II. succeeded by his two sons, Louis III. and Carloman, as kings of France.
“ The same year” (A lst.), end of the chronicle of Ado Viennensis.
“ 880 A. D .” (Pauth. 329, see also Abu Zeid), the title of “ emperor” assumed by Hoang-tchao,
now in possession of the greater portion of China. He was soon afterwards defeated, through the
“ aid of the king of Tagazgaz,” and put himself to death.
About this time (“ a little after 264 A. H . comm. Sept. 12th 8 7 7 ,” Gildem. 75), compilation of
Arab voyages to India and China by Abu Zaid Alhakim of Siraf. Fie speaks of a “ great multitude
of Jew s” in Sarandib (Ceylon), and many other sects, even Tanwis or Manichees, the king permitting
the free exercise of every religion. Gaming was the most usual occupation of the inhabitants,
as draughts, and the fighting of cocks, whose spurs they armed with iron. The favourite drink was
“ ot palm-honey boiled and prepared with the ‘ tari ’ or juice which runs from the tree ” (clearly toddy,
the crude sap procured from different kinds of palms). — “ Vin ” obtained in Java from growing trees,
is mentioned by Marco Polo 167.
The island of Socotra chiefly inhabited by Christians : derived (according to Abu Zeid) from a
Greek colony founded “ by Alexander,” and subsequently converted to Christianity; in which faith
they have persevered, “ as well as all the inhabitants of other isles.” — Marco Polo 189 describes
the population of “ Scotra” and some islands halfway between it and Hindustan, as Christian, recognizing
as their head the “ arcevesqe” of Bagdad. On the arrival of the Portuguese, the Socotrans
exhibited crosses, but according to Barbosa, there was nothing left but the name. By other Portuguese,
they are termed “ Jacobites subject to Alexandria.”
The “ lead called al-qala’i ” (tin of Banca) is enumerated by Abu Zaid as sold at Kalah — in or
near the Malay Peninsula (Yule cath. i. p. cxci).
Coesalpinia sappan of the Siamese countries. An arborescent shrub furnishing the sappan wood
of commerce, called in Tagalo “ sapang ” or “ sibucao ” (Blanco), in Burmah “ teing-nyet ” (Mason),
in Tamil “ patungha,” in Telinga “ bukkapu,” in Bengali and Hindustanee “ bukkuin,” in Malabar
“ tsiapangum” (Drury), and enumerated by Abu Zaid as sold at Kalah ; — by Musir ben Muhalhil,
as growing at Kulam (on the Indian Sea) ; mentioned also by Àbu’fadli (Cels. i. 176), Edrisi, Abnl-
feda, and according to Baku! imported “ from the Malayan archipelago and from Zingitana:” the
wood called “ presillum ” was known in Europe to Matthæus Sylvaticus; “ brazilium ” is mentioned
by Rabbinical writers of the Twelfth century (Spreng.); and the “ berzi” shrub was seen
by Marco Polo 169 under cultivation on Java. C. sappan was observed by Blanco abundant on
the Philippines; by myself, naturalized there and on Zanzibar, and under cultivation at Bombay;
by Mason v. 511, indigenous and confined to Tavoy, but according to tlie Karens having “ a much
wider range” on “ the Meinan side of the mountains in S iam ;” by Roxburgh, Wight, and Urury,
cultivated and growing freely without care from Bengal to Ceylon, its wood used by Telinga dyers
for a cheap red; was observed by Rheede vi. pi. 2 in Malabar; by Graham, “ in gardens Bombay
and the Deccan.” ^
“ 882, Sept. 19th, one hour and fifteen minutes after midnight” (Blair, and Clint, iii. p. 369), the
A uiumnal equinox observed by Albateghi at Aractus.
“ The same year” (F. Mason ii. 23), in Burmah, offerings made by the governor of Thatung
to the pagoda at Rangoon. — One of the largest in the country, as appears from the ruins.
“ 883 A. D .” (A lst., and N icol.), at Rome, Joannes IX. succeeded by Marinus or Martinus,
forty-fourth archbishop.
“ In or about this year ” (Blair), the first star of Aries observed by Albategni to be “ 18° 2' from
the Equinoctial point.”
“ 884 A. D .” (Alst., and Nicol.), at Rome, Marinus succeeded by Hadrianus III., forty-fifth
archbishop.
“ Under khalif Motamed” (Yule cath. i. p. cix), the Arab geographer Ebn Khordadbah director
of the posts in Jibal or ancient Media. — He died about 912 ( = “ 300 H ej,” comm. Aug. 17th,
Gildem. 75).
“ Ghorraib” (a kind of plant) enumerated by Ebn Khordadbah among the exports of China —
(Yule).
Pterocarpus marsupium of Tropical Hindustan, as far as Assam. The red sanders is a very
large Leguminous tree called in Bengalee “ peet-sal,” in Telinga “ yeanga-sha” (Lindl.) or “ yegi,”
in Hindustanee “ peet-shola,” in Tamil “ vengay” (Drur.), in the environs of Bombay “ bia” or
“ bewba ” or “ beebla ” (Graham) ; its timber used from early times, and its gum-resin kino mentioned
by Ebn Khordadbah — (Yule) : P. marsupium was observed by Rheede vi. pl. 25 in Malabar,
whence according to Gibson kino continues to be exported in considerable quantities ; by Graham,
“ common in some parts of Concans ” as far as Bombay, and found by Lush in the “ Rajpeepla jungles;”
by Ainslie, Roxburgh, Wight, and Cleghorn, from the Neilgherries and Travancore to the
Eastern ghauts and Circar mountains, but plentiful only in the forests of Cuddapah and North Arcot
(Drur.) ; is known to grow al.so in Assam (Mason v. 485). Kino according to Roxburgh is strongly
but simply astringent. (See P. erinaceus, and Butea frondosa).
Pterocarpus Wallichii of Burmah. Possibly affording the kino enumerated by Ebn Khordadbah
among the exports of China. Its wood has been long valued in Burmah, — being according to R oxburgh
“ not unlike mahogany, but more heavy, red, coarse in grain ;” only within a few years, has
its gum-resin kino been exported (Mason v. 485, and Journ. as. 1848).
“ The same year” (Nicol.), Charles le Simple being a minor, the government of France assumed
by the German emperor Charles le Gros.
“ In this year,” the Welsh monk Asser, according to his own account, guided by some of the
Saxon nation through many wide-intervening ways in the country of “ Suthseaxum ” (Sussex) to the
royal vill called Dene (D ean), to meet by invitation king Alfred.
“ 885 A. D. ( = 1545th of Synmu,” art de verif.), Josei succeeded by Kooko, younger son of
Ninmio and brother of Montoku, and now dairo of Japan.
“ The same year” (A lst., and N icol), at Rome, Hadrianus III. succeeded by Stephanus VI.,
forty-sixth archbishop.
“ Nov. I Ith ( = St. Martin’s day ” of Asser), king Alfred commencing his literary pursuits, assisted
by the monk Asser.
As early perhaps as this year, voyage of Ohtiiere around the Northern cape and thence “ four
days” eastward into the White Sea, up which he sailed “ five d ays” due south, meeting with the
inhabitants ; “ Finnas ” who were all fishermen, fowlers, and hunters, and “ Beormas ” speaking
nearly the same language but who had well cultivated their country. Ohtliere further informed king
Alfred that he dwelt in “ Halgoland ” northmost of all the Northmen, had not more than twenty horned
cattle, twenty sheep, and twenty swine, and the little that he ploughed he ploughed with horses; had
however six hundred “ hranas” rein-deer, including six “ strel-hranas ” decoy deer, highly valued
among the Finns for catching wild rein-deer ; but wealth in that country consists chiefly of rent paid
by the Finns in skins of animals, birds’ feathers, whalebone, and ship-ropes of whale or seal hide.
He with five assistants had killed whales fifty ells long; but his voyage North, besides seeing
the country, was chiefly on account of “ hors-liwmlum ” walrus, a kind of whale not more than seven
ells long liaving noble tusks or teeth and a hide good for ship-ropes ; some of the tusks were brought
to the king. (Walrus tusks from tlieir costliness were at this time employed for the handle of the
sword of the kings of Norway, Schöning p. 37, Noel, and Pouchet p. 289).
Wulfstan, another navigator, had sailed lo the mouth of the Vistula among the “ E stum ” Estho-
nians : who have many towns and in every town a king ; drink mares’ milk, or the poor and slaves
“ medo” mead ; burn their dead, after keeping the corpse a month or more, feasting and expending
all the property (Alfr. transl. oros.).
“ 886 A. D .” (A lst), Basilius Macedo succeeded by his son Leo VI. Sapiens, thirty-fifth Byzantine
emperor. Orations and a letter on the truth of Christianity, were written by Leo VI.
“ 887 A. D .” (Blair), Paris besieged by the Normans.
“ 888, Jan. 13th” (Blair), death of the emperor Charles le Gros. As guardian of Charles le
Vto
.