598 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



"Dec. 23d" (Percev. i. 409), Mohammed commencing his mission. 



Cissus glandulosa of Tropical Arabia. Sometimes but improperly called in Yemen "haluaek " or 

 "hselvaek" (Forsk.): the plant with juice resembling honey in taste and consistence but of. a very 

 strong savour, supposed to have given rise to a passage in kor. 66 — (Al Zamakh, and Al Beidawi), 

 may be compared : C. glandulosa is described by Forskal p. 34 as observed by him in Yemen, its 

 tuberous roots called " mimiae " sweet to the taste, but leaving behind a burning sensation on the 

 tongue. 



Inga sassa of Abyssinia. The account by Mohammed kor. 56 of " talh " trees loaded from top 

 to bottom with their produce — may include the "sassa" of Abyssinia; observed by Bruce trav. v. 

 pi. 4 and 5 exuding gum in such quantity as to appear deformed by the size of the concretions. This 

 gum examined by Guibourt is classed by him among the false tragacanths (Lindl.). The " samgh 

 arabi" brought according to Forskal mat. med. from the Hedjas, and from Nigritia by the way of 

 Sennar, may be compared. (See Acacia gummifera.) 



Laurus {Camptwra") officinarum of Formosa and Japan. Knowledge of the drug camphor is 

 implied by the " cafur " fountain of Mohammed kor. 74 — (Al Beidawi, and others) : "cafur" is men- 

 tioned also by Meseab, Mesarguil, Ebn Masawia, Maserjawia, Isaac Ebn Amran, Rhazes, Elbasri, 

 Mosih, Avicenna, Serapion, and Ebn Baitar; "kamphora," by Leo Medicus iii. 1, and Matthaeus Syl- 

 vaticus (Hase) ; " kaphoura," by Symeon Sethus, and Michael Psellus ; oil of camphor by Symeon 

 Sethus (Alpin. bals. 5) ; and according to Clot-Bey the living tree has been recently introduced into 

 Egypt. Eastward, the drug camphor is mentioned by the Sanscrit writer Bhavabhuti malat. vi. 3 ; was 

 met with by Marco Polo 157 ; was known to Masudi as the product of a tree growing in the Indian 

 seas and China (Ebn Wand) ; and according to Reeves (med. bot. trans. 1828), is chiefly produced on 

 the island of Formosa, and brought in very large quantities to Canton to be distributed. C. officina- 

 rum was observed by Kaempfer, and Thunberg, growing abundantly in Japan, and called " sjo " or 

 usually "kus-no-ki" or "damo" or "surno-fa." By European colonists, was carried in 1833 to the 

 environs of Bombay (Graham) ; and at different times to other " warm parts of the world," where it 

 continues under cultivation (Lindl ). 



"611, May" (Theophan., and Clint.), Syria invaded by the Persians. 



Coix lachryma of Tropical Eastern Asia. A reedy grass called in Britain Job's tears (Prior p. 

 127), in France " larme de Job" (Fe'e), translations of "dima Ayoub " the current name in Egypt 

 (Forsk., and Del.), in Egyptian T€ Am tears — (ms. Par. 44. p. 381): the current name containing 

 a Scriptural allusion, seems to imply the Early Christian period of Egypt : C. lachryma was observed 

 by Forskal growing spontaneously around Cairo. Northward and Westward, the " xulomakaros 

 koekois " is mentioned by Leo medicus v. 10 (Erm. p. 220) : C. lachryma is described by Dodoens, 

 Lobel, Clusius, and Bauhin hist. ii. 450; is cultivated in Italy, France, and Spain, especially in con- 

 vent gardens (A. Dec), and has become naturalized on Sicily and the Canary Islands (Guss. ii. 568, 

 and Webb). Eastward from Egypt, has a Sanscrit name (Pidd.) ; was observed by Rheede xii. pi. 

 70 in Malabar, and called " caffe " infidel ; by Graham, "in rice fields, margins of tanks etc , both 

 Concans, Deccan, and Guzerat ; " and is termed "lachryma Jobi indica " by Rumphius v. pi. 75. 

 Farther East, was observed by Mason "exotic " in Burmah and called " ka-le-thee," by Blanco, well 

 known to the natives on the Philippines, and called in Tagalo " tigbi ; " by Kaempfer, and Thun- 

 berg, frequent in Southern Japan and called " iokui " or " iokui nin," or usually " dsud-sudama ; " by 

 myself, carried by natives to the Feejeean, Tongan, and as far as the Samoan Islands. By European 

 colonists, was carried to Madeira, where it has become naturalized (Webb); to Northeast America, 

 where it continues in gardens. 



Coix, possibly a distinct species. — The " ka-le : pouk-pouk " or coix millet, according to Mason 

 v. 476 to 522 is "cultivated very extensively by the Red Karens" of Burmah, and its large seeds are 

 "parched "and "often for sale in the bazars:" other varieties or species are also cultivated, and 

 their seeds used for embroidering and ornamenting dresses. 



"612 A. D." (Royle antiq. hind. med. p. 74), death of Warka son of Naefal, who is mentioned 

 in the Koran, and who first translated the Old Testament into Arabic. 



"613 A. D." (Blair), by Clotaire II., "mayres du palais " instituted as regents of the French 

 kingdoms united by him. 



"614 A. D." (Alst. p. 346), a synod of Bavarians, French, and Ilurgundians. Against the new 

 ceremonies through which Columbanus and Gallus were beginning to oppress the people, contrary 

 to the institutions of their forefathers. 



"June" (Chron. Pasch., and Clint.), the forces of Heraclius defeated, and Jerusalem captured 

 by the Persians. — " A year afterwards " (Kitt. bibl. cycl.), " peace was concluded," and " Heraclius 

 entered Jerusalem in solemn state." 



"615 A. D." (Alst., and Clint), at Rome, Bonifacius the fourth succeeded by Deodatus, third 

 archbishop. 



