1848.] Notices of an Arabic Work, fyc. 503 



al-dyn of Delhi, and a fourth fragment, containing about one-eighth of 

 the work, is in my possession. 



The book is divided into four sections : the first treats on Mathematical 

 Sciences, ***kj isJj** ; the second on Natural Philosophy, **JU~ e> u^ 5 ' 

 dA*jaio ; the third on Psychology and Speculative Sciences, *jJL»& e^ii 

 *V**, and the fourth on Religion and Metaphysics, *Wf **«y«l> i^ 5 * 



Section I . — Abstract Sciences. — Memoir on numbers ; the elements of 

 arithmetic ; metaphysical theories (of Pythagoras, who is repeatedly 

 quoted) on numbers. Four is considered the basis of the decimal system, 

 for it is said, l-f-2-f-3+4=10. The authors have a fancy for the number 

 four, because there are four elements. 



2. The Elements of Geometry. This chapter contains little more 

 than the definitions of Euclid and the methods of calculating the area 

 of a triangle. 



3. Astronomy. This chapter gives a very clear view of the system 

 of Ptolemy. 



4. Music and the elements of versification. 



5. On Geography. — Many authors dwell particularly on Mathemati- 

 cal Geograghy, which is treated very much in the same manner as by 

 Abiilfeda, but it is considerably fuller. In the detailed description of 

 the climates, the tables showing the longitude and latitude of places 

 are unfortunately omitted in the code before me, but the space left 

 blank to receive them is very small, and they cannot have been of much 

 importance. The following is the description of the first climate : 

 " This climate is 9000 miles, or 3000 farsangs long from east to west, 

 and 445 miles, or 146 farsangs, from south to north. It begins at the 

 equator, &c. &c. see Abulf. p. 8. In this climate are chains of moun- 

 tains which are from ten to one hundred, and even one thousand farsangs 

 long ; there are no less than thirty large rivers, some of which are 20, 

 others 100, and others 1000 farsangs long, and it contains about fifty 

 large and celebrated cities. The most eastern country of this climate is 

 the island of Niphon, &j9&)\ • then comes southern China, then the 

 south of Ceylon, then central India, then subcentral and Sind, then be- 

 yond the Persian Gulf the south of 'Oman, then comes the centre of 

 the country of Shir, then central Yaman, then across the Red Sea, 

 central Messynia ; then across the Nile is Nubia ; then the centre of the 



