ARAB GEOGRAPHERS 



On the continent to the south of Denmark is the coast of 

 " Polonia " (Poland), and to the east of it, also on the continent, 

 is "Zwada" (Sweden), and a town " Guta " (Gotaland), also 

 " Landsu(d)den" (in Finland). We have further the river 

 " Qutelw" (the Gota river), on which is the town of " Siqtun.'* 

 There is also " Qimia " (Kemi?). Farther east is " bilad Fin- 

 mark" (the district of Finmark),^ where we still find the river 

 Qutelw with the town of " Abuda " (Abo ?) inland, and " Qal- 

 mar " on the coast near another outlet of the Gota river. These 

 two towns are 



"large but ill populated, and their inhabitants are sunk in poverty; they 

 scarcely find the necessary means of living. It rains there almost continually. 

 . . . The King of Finmark has possessions in the island of Norwaga." 



Next on the east comes the land of " Tabast " (Tavast) with 



" * Dagwada ' (Dago?), a large and populous town on the sea.'* 



In the land of Tabast 



" are many castles and villages, but few towns. The cold is more severe 

 than in Finmark, and frost and rain scarcely leave them for a moment." 



Farther east Esthonia and the land of the heathen are also 

 mentioned. 



" As regards the great island of Norwaga [Norway], it is for the most part 

 desert. It is a large country which has two promontories, of which the left- 

 hand one approaches the island of Danamarkha, and lies opposite to the har- 

 bor that is called Wendilskada, and between them the passage is short, about 

 half a day's sail; the other approaches the great coast of Finmark. On this 

 island [Norwaga] are three inhabited towns,- of which two are in the part 

 that turns towards Finmark, the third in the part that approaches Danamarkha. 

 These towns have all the same appearance, those who visit them are few, and 

 provisions are scarce on account of the frequent rain and continual wet. They 

 sow [corn] but reap it green, whereupon they dry it in houses that are 

 warmed, because the sun so seldom shines with them. On this island there 

 are trees so great of girth as are not often found in other parts. It is said 

 that there are some wild people living in the desert regions, who have their 

 heads set immediately upon their shoulders and no neck at all. They resort to 



1 This name is doubtless a confusion of Finmark and Finland. 



- Of the names of these towns given on the map there can, according to 

 Seippel's interpretation, be read with certainty "'Olso " and probably " Trona " 

 (Trondhjem). The third name is difficult to determine. 



205 



