38 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



Spartium monospermum. — This is an indigenous plant of the Desert 

 of Suez and the Sinai Peninsula; where the charcoal obtained from it, 

 forms an article of traffic with Egypt. 



The name of Pischam Miamn II., the seventh and last king of the 

 Twenty-First Egyptian Dynasty, and also a priest, has been found on 

 the temple of Khons at Thebes. 



The manufacture of leather, has been traced in mummies as far back 

 as the Twenty-First Dynasty, by means of the stamped leather bands, 

 mentioned by Birch. — Similar bands, of morocco leather, stamped 

 with the name of a king of the Twenty-Second Dynasty, were found 

 in the mummy recently opened at Boston. I procured at Thebes, 

 pegged morocco shoes, taken from mummies and penetrated with bitu- 

 men ; together with part of a sash of soft leather, having the margin 

 cut, as if by machinery, into lace-like fringe. 



In reference to the " almug trees" brought in the ships of Solomon 

 (1 Kings x. 12, and 2 Chronicles ix. 11); I ascertained, that the joists 

 used at Mocha for supporting the floors' and flat roofs, are imported 

 ready-hewn from Zanzibar. 



The "twkyym" imported in the ships of Solomon (1 Kings x. 22, 

 and 2 Chronicles ix. 21), are referred by Hieronymus, and by Syriac 

 and Hebrew authorities, to the p>eacoch. This bird, in its wild state, is 

 known to be peculiar to Hindostan : and I am informed by Mr. 

 Hoisington, that the name " twkyym" belongs to the Tamil language. 

 — Among Greek writers, the peacock is mentioned by Eupolis, Aris- 

 tophanes, Strattis, Anaxilaus, Menodotus, and Athenaeus. 



The "ktzyowt" of Psalm xlv. 8, may be compared with "keschut;" 

 given by Forskal (Mat. Med.) as the current Egyptian name of certain 

 seeds, imported from Syria and used as a cosmetic, especially by the 

 Jews. — The plant, however, remains unascertained. 



The "bshm" of Solomon's Song v. 13 and vi. 2, may be compared 

 with " abuscham," the current name in Yemen of the balm-tree (Amyris 

 opobalsamum) . — Josephus mentions a tradition, That the balm-tree 

 was introduced into Palestine by the Queen of Sheba ; and Strabo's 

 account of its place of origin corresponds. After the time of the 

 Romans, the balm-tree disappeared from the valley of the Jordan ; 

 but " living plants brought at great expense from Yemen," were seen 

 by Belon in a garden near Cairo. The re-introduction proved unsuc- 

 cessful ; for, thirty-one years later, the stocks could not be found by 

 Alpinus. 



