OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 603 



Cairo : pods of A. heterocarpa were found by Delile in the drug-shops of Egypt, and he met with 

 the living tree near Kosser on the Red Sea. 



" Dec. 22d, Friday" (Eutych., Elmak., Clint., and Marcel.), Alexandria captured by Amrou ; 

 the Muslims now obtaining possession of Egypt. They appear to have been hailed as deliverers 

 from a foreign yoke. 



IX. THE EARLY MUSLIM PERIOD. 



The disposal of the collective agricultural produce of Egypt, throws light on many historical 

 events. The corn of Egypt, fed armies : and in the days of Xerxes, was indispensable to his move- 

 ment against Greece (compare Herodot. vii. 25). At a later period (see Jos. bell. Jud. iv. 10. 5), it 

 formed an elemenrt in making and unmaking Roman emperors. But from the time when the Muslims 

 entered Alexandria, European rulers ceased to control the corn of Egypt. 



The further establishment of the pilgrimage to Mecca tended to increase the intercourse between 

 India and Europe ; now altogether in the hands of the Muslims. There remained indeed some choice 

 of routes, between the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf : but living Tropical plants, perhaps without 

 exception, reached the Mediterranean by the way of Egypt. 



In monumental history, there is now a striking change, in the exclusion from Muslim countries 

 of representations of external objects : the moon and stars only excepted. — In Egypt, this ceasing 

 of "image-making," marks an epoch in the annals of mankind. 



In regard to Europeans, Egypt seems withdrawn from their knowledge ; — and for more than 

 eight hundred years During which interval indeed, Europe supplies very little light on her own 

 condition : the records of European nations, the Greeks and Italians excepted, hardly extending as 

 far back as the Muslim conquest; and in general, the popular mind is everywhere limited to the 

 national Literature. 



"In or about this year" (Cockayne iii. 447), the abbey of Folkstone founded by Eanswith, 

 daughter of Eadbald king of Kent : — She was buried in this abbey. 



"641, Feb. nth, Sunday" (Niceph., and Clint.), death of Heraclius. He was succeeded by his 

 son Constantinus III. ; " May 24th," by another son Heracleonas ; and before the close of the year, 

 by a third son Constans. 



A Japanese coin, "said to be 1135 years old," —presented in 1776 to Thunberg iv. p. 123. With 

 others respectively " 758, 748, 718, 651, 596, and 566 >' ears ° ld >" {t was " o£ copper, with a square hole 

 in the middle." 



" The same year " (Chinese annals translat. by De Guignes, Elphinst. iii. 3), arrival in China of 

 ambassadors " from Ho-lo-mien, of the family of Kie-li-tie, a great king in" Hindustan:* (neither 

 the king's name, nor that of the dynasty, has been identified). 



" 642 A. D." (Clint.), Joannes the fourth at Rome succeeded by Theodorus, eighth archbishop. 



" In this year" (ann. Jap , transl. Tits.), Zio-mei succeeded by his widow Kwo-gok, now thirty- 

 sixth dairo of Japan. 



"643 A. D." (Clot-Bey), at Fostat, near the site of Cairo, a mosque built by Amru : of which, 

 from frequent repairs, "a very small portion of the original" remains. Another mosque built by 

 Amru at Assuan, is in better preservation ; and presents the usual round arches at that time in vogue 

 in the Mediterranean countries (Wilk. Theb. and Eg. p. 310 and 455). 



Myristica moschata of the Moluccas. Called in Persian " jouz-bewa " (Lindl.) ; in which we 

 recognize the " jawz buwwa" of Ahrun, — Ebn Masawia, Miseaben, Albasari, Rhazes, Isaac ben 

 Amrtn Serapion (F. Adams), Avicenna, and Ebn Baitar: nutmegs are known to have been at first 

 imported overland into Europe, and are mentioned under the name of " karua aromatika" in the 

 addition to Aetius, also by Symeon Sethus (Spreng.). Eastward, were seen by Marco Polo 163 ; are 

 called in Sanscrit "jiy-phalu," in Bengalee "jati phal" or "jayphal,"in Hindustanee "jaephal" 

 (D'rozar ) and the living tree introduced was observed in Hindustan by Roxburgh cor. in. pi. 274, 

 and Graham. Farther East, M. moschata is enumerated by Mason as " exotic " in Burmah and 

 called "za-te-pho;" but is known to be indigenous in the Moluccas, growing especially on Banda 

 (Rumph ii pi 4) The nutmeg has not as yet been successfully cultivated beyond its natural 

 limits ; one sex only occurring among the trees introduced by the Arabs into Zanzibar up to the time 

 of my visit. 



* Bassia butyracea of Nepal and Eastern Hindustan. The Indian butter-tree called in Bengalee 

 "Dhulwara" (Drur.), and known from early times : -growing on the Almora hills and in Nepal 

 CRoxb res asiat viii. 477, Don fl. nep. 146, and Royle) ; and according to Drury, its fruit is eaten, 

 the kernels yield a pure vegetable butter called " choorie " sold at a cheap rate, and sugar made from 

 the flowers is also sold in the Calcutta bazaar. 



