OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 649 



by Rumphius v. pi. 48 on Amboyna and called "sebit;" by Blanco, on the Philippines, called in 

 Tagalo "bayag cambing" or "calambibit," in Bisaya "dalugdug," and the seeds used medicinally by 

 the natives ; observed by myself on Mindanao, and on the Feejeean and Samoan Islands ; and by 

 Beechey (Hook.), and Mann, on the Hawaiian Islands. Westward from Ceylon, was carried accord- 

 ing to Bojer p. 116 to the Comoro Islands and to Madagascar, where it has become naturalized; was 

 observed by Drege at the Cape of Good Hope (E. Mey.) ; is known to grow along the West African 

 coast in Congo, Guinea, and Senegambia (R. Brown, Thoning, and Perr.) ; was observed by myself 

 in Southern Brazil; by Aublet, in Guyana; by Sloane, Plumier, and others, in the West Indies as 

 far as the point of Florida, and seeds drifted by the Gulf stream have preserved their vitality after 

 reaching the Irish coast (J. Banks, and A. Dec). 



Cucumis djyzar hendi of Sdnd and the adjoining portion of Hindustan. Called in Yemen 

 |' djyzar hendi" Indian carrot, and the "bathikh elhindi " of Rhazes, — Eltamimi, and Ebn. Baitar, 

 is referred here by Sontheimer : C. djyzar hendi was observed by Forskal in a few gardens in Yemen, 

 brought from India and called by the Indians (Banians) "gadjer" or " schekarkand," the root edible. 

 (See C. pseudo-colocynthis). 



"925 A. D." (Nicol.), Edward succeeded by Athelstan or Ethestan, eighth Anglo-Saxon king 

 of England. 



In this year (= 839 -f " 10th + 48 -f 12th + 3 -|-i-f-4-|-2d-f6 = 86 years " of Malabar 

 domination, Mahavams. liv to lix), the Malabars defeated by Mahaloo Wijayaba, who now became 

 king of Ceylon. — He reinstated the Budhist religion by sending to his friend king Anoorudda, and 

 importing "twenty priests" together with "several books" (from Aramaradeese on the coast of 

 Coromandel, note by transl.). 



" 926 A. D. = ' thian-tching,' 1st year of Ming-tsoung, of the later Thang " or Seventeenth dynasty 

 — (Chinese chron. table). 



" In the reign of Ming-tsoung" (Pauth. 333), the art of printing from wooden blocks, invented 

 in China. The printing of the first four books of Confucius is referred by Humboldt cosm. ii. to 

 "890-925." 



Toltecs under their "fifth '' chief Nimaquiche" retiring to Guatemala, founded the city of Quiche" 

 on lake Atitan ; and Nimaquiche' dying on the route, his son Acxopil became in effect the first king 

 of Guatemala (art de verif. contin.). 



A&ave Americana of the Western slope of the Peruvian Andes. The century plant, called in 

 Peru "chuchau," and its fibre "chahuar," and this fibre twisted into mantles by the wild tribes of 

 the cold portion of the Andes — (G. de la Vega i. 14 to viii. 13) ; also gave the name " Chahuarhuay " 

 (June) to the second month established by Yupanqui ; and furnished the slings given to youths of 

 Inca descent in the seventh month Ccapac Raymi (C. de Molin. 38). Numerous uses of the plant 

 are mentioned by G. de la Vega, and Ruiz and Pavon iii. 66; and the plant itself was observed by 

 myself clearly indigenous and a striking feature in the vegetation on the basal portion of the Peru- 

 vian Andes. In Mexico, the " maguey " or " metl " was cultivated as far South as the Aztec language 

 extended for making cordage and the kind of paper on which hieroglyphics were painted, and its 

 sap fermented into "pulke";" a beverage not used by the Otomite, Totonac, nor Mistec tribes 

 (Humb. iv. 9) : A. Americana is described by Lopez de Gomara (Spreng.). By European colonists 

 was carried Westward across the Pacific to the Philippines, where it is used by the natives medici- 

 nally and for making fine cloth, and is called "magui" (Blanco); to the neighbouring islands, 

 termed "aloe americana " by Rumphius v. pi. 94; to Hindustan, called in Bengalee "bilatipat" or 

 "jungli-ananash," in Tamil " anaik-katrazhai," in Telinga "rakashi-mattalu," in Hindustanee "bakas- 

 pattah " or "halhi-sengar " or " bara-kanvar '' or " jungli-kanvar " (Drur.), and "now common" 

 throughout (Royle, Wight, and Drur.). Transported to Europe "in 1586" (Camer. hort. 11, and 

 Clus. hisp. 444), continues to be cultivated, especially for hedges, in Southern Spain, Algeria, Sicily, 

 Italy, and Dalmatia, has become seemingly naturalized but does not ripen seed (A. Dec.) ; was 

 observed by Siebold, and Chaubard, in Greece, a few stocks derived apparently from former cul- 

 tivation : by European colonists also, was carried to Northeast America, where it continues in 

 greenhouses. Its roots according to Lindley are diuretic, and are brought to Europe mixed with 

 sarsaparilla. 



"927 A. D." (= 875 -j- cycle of 52 years, Clavig. ii.), accession of Mitl, sixth Toltec king of 

 Mexico. 



Ipomaea jalapa of the Mexican table-land. Called by the Spanish colonists "jalapa macho" 

 or " puro-a macho " (Schiede), and the " mechoacan " of the ancient Mexicans * — (Humb. iv. 10) may 



* In^a unguiscati of Mexico and the West Indies. A large shrub called in Mexico "quamo- 

 chitl" (Hernand. 94), and known from early times: — observed by Plumier pi. 4, Descourtilz i. pi. 

 11 and Macfadyen, frequent in the West Indies. By European colonists, was carried Westward 



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