118 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



Sprengel states, That Abulfadli, Edrisi, Marco Polo, Abulfeda, and 

 Bakui, speak of the importation from the East India Islands and from 

 Zingitana of the wood of Ccesalpinia sappan (used in dyeing red) ; and 

 also, That this wood is called "presillum"* by the Rabbinical writers, 

 and by Matthgeus Sylvaticus. — I met with the living plant in gardens 

 at Bombay, and naturalized on the Island of Zanzibar. 



In "A. D. 940," the accession of Motaki, the twenty-first Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. His authority was acknowledged by Ikhschid ; who, 

 having received the appointment of governor of Egypt, had rendered 

 himself really independent, and had besides extended his authority 

 over Palestine and Syria. Coins issued by Ikhschid, are figured by 

 Marcel, p. 95. 



The "ambar" of Haly Abbas, Eltamini, Avicenna, Serapion, Sy- 

 meon Sethus, Edrisi, and Ibn Baitar, is referred by F. Adams to 

 ambergris. — This perfume is noticed by Paludanus; is brought from 

 the shores of the Indian Ocean ; and according to Beale and others, is 

 derived from the sperm whale (Physeter). 



The " teii" grass of Haly Abbas, Stephanus, and Michael de Capella, 

 may be compared with the " deyl el-far " of Modern Egypt, Polypogon 

 Monspellense. — The P. Monspeliense was seen by Forskal and Delile, 

 growing spontaneously at Cairo. 



In "A. D. 944," Motaki was deposed; and Mostakfi became the 

 twenty-second Abbassid khalif. 



Champollion-Figeac (Eg. Anc. p. 228) speaks of a Coptic inscription, 

 dated in the six hundred and sixty-second year of the Diocletian Era, 

 and in the three hundred and thirty-fourth of the Hejra; both equiva- 

 lent to A. D. 945. 



In " A. D. 946," Mostakfi was deposed ; and Mothi became the 

 twenty-third Abbassid khalif. His authority was aknowledged by the 

 eunuch Kafur, who governed Egypt in the name of the children of 

 Ikhschid (Marcel, p. 97). A coin issued by Khalif Mothi, is figured 

 by Marcel, p. 94. 



According to Wilkinson, The earliest inscription hitherto discovered 

 in the present Arabic letters, occurs at the gold mines of Gebel Ellaka in 

 the Ababdeh Desert ; and bears the date of the " fifth year of Khalif 

 Mostakfi" (Thebes and Egypt, pp. 416 and 545). 



* On the discovery of America, the name of this wood was transferred to the country 

 now called Brazil. 



