HO CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



China, and the product of Laurus camphora. — Symeon Sethus, accord- 

 ing to Alpinus (De bals. 5), speaks of the oil of camphor: the living 

 tree, according to Clot-Bey and Figari, has been recently introduced 

 into Egypt. 



According to Marcel, copper money only had been coined by the 

 Muslims before the reign of Abd-el-Melek ; who first coined silver, to 

 the exclusion of Greek and Persian coins. Marcel, p. 34, figures one 

 of the coins issued by Abd-el-Melek, bearing the date of the 79th 

 year of the Hejra (A. D. 698) : by some writers, this is considered the 

 earliest Muslim coin hitherto discovered. 



In " A. D. 705," the accession of Walid, the sixth Ommiad khalif, 

 took place. During his reign, the mosque El-Djame el-Atyk was 

 commenced near Cairo : he also issued coins (see Marcel, p. 34). 



The BEAiAEr of Zosimus Panopolitanus, Mesue, and Chariton, is 

 admitted to be belleric myrobalans ; the fruit, according to Royle, of 

 Terminalia belerica. — This tree was seen by Graham, growing in the 

 environs of Bombay. 



The AMBAEr of Zosimus Panopolitanus, Rhazes, Mesue, Chariton, 

 and Nicolaus Myrepsus, is admitted to be emblic myrobalans (the fruit 

 of Emblica officinalis). — Edrisi speaks of the importation of myro- 

 balans by the way of Aden ; and the medicinal use of emblic myro- 

 balans by the Egyptians, is mentioned by Alpinus. According to 

 Bontius, the E. officinalis grows wild in Java ; and Graham met with 

 it, also wild in Hindostan. 



In " A. D. 710," by the permission of Khalif Walid, the Muslims 

 entered Spain. About the same time, their armies in the East entered 

 Hindostan, and the country of Kaschgar in Central Asia. 



In " A. D. 715," the accession of Soliman, the seventh Ommiad 

 khalif, took place. The Nilometer at Rhoda, near Cairo, was built 

 during his reign ; it affords evidence, that round arches were still in 

 vogue. 



In "A. D. 717," the accession of Omar II., the eighth Ommiad 

 khalif, took place. 



In " A. D. 720," the accession of Yezid II., the ninth Ommiad 

 khalif, took place. 



In "A. D. 724," the accession of Hescham, the tenth Ommiad 

 khalif, took place. Coins, issued during his reign, are figured by 

 Marcel, p. 38. 



In " A. D. 732," the Muslims, after having overrun a large portion 



