ON INTRODUCED ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 125 



The "tumluk" of Ibn Baitar, maybe compared with "tamalak," 

 the Dongola name (according to Cailliaud) of Gleome pentaphylla. — This 

 plant is cultivated as an esculent in Dongola; and according to 

 Alpinus, Delile, and Clot-Bey, is used in Egypt for feeding cattle. 

 It grows as a weed in Hindostan and the East India Islands, as 

 appears from Rheede, Rumphius, and Graham.* 



In " A. D. 1238," the accession of Melek-Adel II., the sixth Ayou- 

 bite sultan of Egypt, took place. 



In "A. D. 1240," the accession of Melek-Saleh, the seventh Ayou- 

 bite sultan of Egypt, took place. His name has been found in an in- 

 scription over the door of his tomb at Cairo (Wilkinson, Thebes and 

 Egypt, pp. 297 and 551). 



The sultan of Damascus having made a treaty with the Crusaders, 

 by which the latter were again admitted into Jerusalem, Melek-Saleh 

 invited the Kharesmians, who had already entered Syria. In " A. D. 

 1244" (Munk), the Kharesmians invaded Palestine and captured 

 Jerusalem : three years afterwards, they were expelled by the com- 

 bined forces of the Syrians and Egyptians. 



Melek-Saleh increased the number of Memluks beyond precedent ; 

 by the purchase of some thousands of young Turks, to whom he gave 

 a military education, and thus obtained a formidable body of soldiers 

 exclusively devoted to his interests. 



The Seventh Crusade was directed against Egypt: the Crusaders 

 landed and captured Damietta, in " A. D. 1247" (Marcel); three 

 years afterwards, they advanced to the head of the Delta, but were 

 again obliged to capitulate and leave the country. 



Immediately after the defeat of the Crusaders, "April, A. D. 

 1250" (Marcel), the death of Melek-Saleh (kept secret for several 

 months) was declared ; and his son, Turan Schah, was acknowledged 

 as the eighth Ayoubite sultan of Egypt. 



Two months afterwards, the Memluks, or military slaves, perceiving 

 that they held in their hands the power of their master, put him 

 to death ; one of their own number was declared sultan, and the Insti- 

 tution was rendered permanent, by means of fresh purchases from 

 abroad (Clot-Bey and Marcel). Ibek thus became the head of the 



* According to Sprengel, the skirret (Sium sisarum), was brought from Northern 

 China into Europe during the Thirteenth Century. — The plant is now abundantly culti- 

 vated in Europe ; but appears to have remained unknown in Egypt. 



