1865.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 105 



(Others say) iZajr lies two marches N. W. from Yamama." This 

 agrees perfectly with the Itineraries, but as we put no reliance upon 

 Abulfecla, I appeal to a man who many years roamed as a Beduin over 

 those countries, — to Abu-Malek Ahmad b. Sahl Sokhary. He relates 

 apud Hamdany, fol. 122 that he saw near Qaryat-Khadhra, in the 

 country which was once inhabited by the Tasmites, (the Jadysites he 

 acids inhabited Khidhrima,) artificial mounds built of clay, 200 yards 

 high, and he was informed that there had been one which was 500 

 yards high, and from which you could see Yamama, nay even Bark 

 and Ras (the head of) al-Dam, a distance of two days and two nights. 

 Then he continues, " ive noiv leave Hajr and go up along the valley of 

 'Izdh, etc." We see from this that £Tajr is different from Yamama and 

 that it lies close to Qaryat-Khadhra, and that Yamama is at least two 

 days off. Ras al Dam as he informs us in another place, lies beyond 

 Yamama. I may add that Yamama is known as a town up to this 

 day, and i7ajr was visited by Ibn Batuta, (vol. 2, p. 248,) and iZajr as 

 well as Yamama, as it seems from contemporaneous information, is 

 mentioned by -Sajiy Khal, p. 527 comp. p. 528 and 530. 



Let us now see what our model historians (Tab. p. 159 et seq., 

 Beladzory, p. 88,) say. When Mosaylima heard of the approach 

 of Khalid, he took a position at ' Aqraba, (according to Beladzory, one 

 mile from Yamama,) and awaited the arrival of his enemy. 'Aqraba 

 lies beyond the property (houses, fields, etc.) of Yamama, says Tabary, 

 on the way towards Nibag; (i. e. 'Onayza which lies in Nibag) adds 

 Yaqdt v. 2, p. 266. At 'Aqraba a battle was fought in which Mosay- 

 lima was beat. He retired into the IZadyqa Garden, where he was 

 slain, and Yamama capitulated. 



Now in the whole account, not the historians alone, but the tradi- 

 tionists make the enormous mistake to put Yamama instead of iZajr. 

 To prove that the battle was fought and that Mosaylima was slain 

 near iTajr I might advert to the above details on the geography of the 

 country, according to which the iTadyqa lies close to i?ajr, and to 

 Yaqut's article, JBadyqa,v.l, p. 292, but I prefer the appeal to Tabary's 

 own testimony, and to Sokhary who has lived in the country. Tab. p. 

 174, quotes a poem in which it is said that the waters of 'Aqraba and 

 Malham (not Salham) being tinged red with blood, were carrying the 

 news of the battle to the South. Now it is proved not only by the 



