410 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



123 B. C. = " 24th year of Ptolemy VII.," inscribed at Phike (Glid analect.). A petition from 

 the priests at Phite addressed in Greek to Ptolemy VII. — is extant. Affording the means of veri- 

 fying hieroglyphic interpretations derived from the Rosetta Stone. 



Hardly later than this date (Agatharch. 85), Ariston sent by Ptolemy to examine Arabia along 

 the sea. Beginning at the head of the Laeanitic Gulf, which he consecrated to Poseidon or Neptune, 

 there was here a tract abounding in palms, and a very ancient stone altar inscribed with unknown 

 letters (Smai/ic), under the charge of a man and woman who were obliged to take shelter at night in 

 the tree-tops. — Posidium on the Aelanitic Gulf is mentioned by Artemidorus (Strab. xvi. 4. 18). 



Beyond the Gulf were the Nabatean Arabs, and along the coast three islands, one of them con- 

 secrated to Isis and having remains of ancient stone buildings and columns inscribed with barbaric 

 letters (Sinaitic). 



The " ThamouthenSn " Arabs are also mentioned — (Agatharch. 92). They dwelt in caves or 

 rock-excavations along the Northern border, and continued known to the Greeks and Romans in the 

 days of Diodorus Siculus, Pliny vi. 28, Claudius Ptolemy, and as late as -'425 to 453 A. D." (Steph. 

 Byz., and Percev. i. 25) ; but the tribe of Thamud disappeared before the time of Mohammed kor. 



The "thrakontia mikra " penetrating among the muscles of the inhabitants along the Red Sea — 

 (Agatharch. quoted by Plutarch qu. conv. viii. 9. 16), are clearly the Guinea worm, Filaria Medinen- 

 sis. The affliction is mentioned by Niebuhr ?, and I found it continuing to the present day. 



Elacagnns Oinntalis of Arabia. Called in the gardens of Egypt " negdeh " (Del.) ; and the 

 " edaiais " growing on the above-mentioned islands but differing from ours — (Agatharch. 91), or 

 "edaias aithiopikas " yielding a "thakrunn " according to Artemidorus (Strab. xvi. 4. iS), and Dioscor- 

 ides i. 136, is referred here by Sprengel : the "zakkum," mentioned by Mohammed kor. xxxvii. 60, 

 very efficacious according to the Arabs against contusions and wounds (Maundrell, and Mariti), and 

 offered to pilgrims on approaching Jericho, is according to Royle an oil obtained from the "olive- 

 shaped nut" within the fruit of an Elaeagnus (Kitt. bibl. cycl. ii. 89S) : E. Orientalis was observed 

 by Delile in the gardens of Egypt, according to Clot-Bey long known there ; and as appears from 

 Bieberstein (Steud.), is also cultivated in the Tauro-Caspian countries. (See E. angustifolia, and 

 Balanites Aegyptiaca). 



Lotus Forskali of the mountains of Tropical Arabia. The " 16ton anthromeke " supplying feed 

 for cattle on the plain next to the Nabateans — (Agatharch. 89), maybe compared: L. Forskali, 

 decumbent, trifoliate, yellow-flowered, and differing from Lathyrus in the absence of tendrils, was 

 observed by Forskal p. 140 on the middle mountain-region of Tropical Arabia; and "Lathyrus 

 terniflorus " p. xcvii is enumerated by him as affording feed for camels, bullocks, sheep, and 

 goats. Another species, Lotus fruticosa, was observed by Forskal near Musa, but no description 

 is given. 



LYtica lieterophylla of Tropical Asia from Arabia to Burmah. An annual plant called in Yemen 

 ironically " schadjaret el mehabbe " love-plant (Forsk.) ; and the " poa alle " very pleasant to the 

 eyes but its virtue transient, growing in the country of the Sabaeans — (Agatharch. 97), mentioned 

 also by Artemidorus, may be compared: U. lieterophylla was observed by Forskal p. 159 on the 

 middle mountain-region of Yemen. Eastward, by Rheede ii. pi. 41 on mountains in Malabar ; by 

 Nimmo, and Graham, "in various parts S. Concan; " by Roxburgh, in other parts of Hindustan ; by 

 Mason, indigenous in Burmah, and called "bet-ya." The pain of the sting according to Lindley is 

 '•very severe, but not permanent." 



Balsamodendron kafal of Tropical Arabia. A tree called there "kafal" (Forsk.); and the 



ranthoidps is described by Gerarde p. 213 ; and though a weed in cultivated ground, is regarded by 

 A. Decandolle as indigenous in middle and Northern Europe (see also Jacq. austr. pi. 17, and Pers.). 

 Eastward, has not been observed in Greece ; but is known to grow throughout Northern Asia as far 

 as Kamtschatka (Ledeb.), also in the neighbouring portion of America, and in Canada (Torr.), and 

 is regarded by A. Gray as indigenous in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. 



Lvcopodium selago of Subarctic climates and mountain-summits farther South. The " selago " 

 regarded by the druids of Gaul as preventive against everything deadly, the smoke curing all mala- 

 dies of the eyes, — further described by Pliny xxiv. 62 as resembling '• herbae sabinae," may be com- 

 pared : L. selago, according to Lindley, is used medicinally by the Highlanders of Scotland, taken 

 internally and the ointment applied " to the neighbourhood of the eyes as a counter irritant ; " and in 

 Sweden, according to Linnaeus, the decoction is used as a detergent lotion, and for destroying vermin 

 on swine and other animals. The plant is known to grow throughout Northern and on the mountains 

 of middle Europe (Engl. bot. pi. 233, and Lindl.) ; also in Iceland; and in North America from the 

 Arctic sea to Lat. 54° (Hook.), and farther South on the Rocky mountains (Drunvm.), and on the 

 White mountains of New England. 



