114 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



In " A. D. 847," the accession of Motawakkel, the tenth Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. Some accident having befallen the Nilometer at 

 Rhoda, he caused it to be rebuilt (Marcel, and Wilkinson, Thebes and 

 Egypt, p. 312). Coins, issued during his reign, are figured by Marcel, 

 p. 56. 



The "sah" of the Itinerary of Wahab and Abuzeid (who visited 

 China in "A. D. 851"), and of " Mehemet Arabs" and Ramusio, is 

 admitted to be tea (Thea). — This beverage has never been much used 

 among the Arab tribes ; a circumstance, that partly accounts for its 

 having so long remained unknown to Europeans. 



From Sprengel's remarks, the precious camphor (Dryobalanops) of 

 Sumatra and Borneo would seem to be mentioned in the Itinerary of 

 Wahab and Abuzeid ; also, by Ibn Amran, Edrisi, Abulfeda, Bakui, 

 and other Arab writers. 



In "A. D. 861," the accession of Montaser, the eleventh Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. 



In " A. D. 862," the accession of Mostain, the twelfth Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. 



The "athl" of Isaac Ibn Amran, Serapion, and Ibn Baitar, accord- 

 ing to Egyptian usage, is Callitris quadrivalvis. — This is a tree re- 

 sembling the Casuarina, often planted around the Egyptian villages; 

 and according to my Nubian attendant, also found in Dongola. 



According to F. Adams, borax (borate of soda) is mentioned by Ibn 

 Amran, Serapion, Ibn Baitar, and in the Susruta. — Saunders and 

 Turner ascertained, that this salt is procured from a lake in Thibet. 



In " A. D. 866," the accession of Motaz, the thirteenth Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. 



The "yasmin" of I. Ben Masah, Rhazes, Mosih Ben Elhakam, and 

 Ibn Baitar, according to Delile's account of the Egyptian usage, is the 

 Jasminum grandiflorum. — This plant is by some writers considered 

 only a variety of/, officinale: also seen by Delile in gardens at Cairo; 

 and by Forskal, both at Cairo and on the mountains of Yemen. 



The "khiar" of I. Ben Masah, Hobaisch, Rhazes, Avicenna, Elga- 

 faki, and Ibn Baitar, according to Egyptian usage, is our common 

 cucumber (Cucumis sativus). — The Bengalee name "keera" is nearly 

 identical ; a circumstance confirming the received opinion, That the 

 plant was derived from Hindostan. 



In " A. D. 869," the accession of Mohtadi, the fourteenth Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. 



