402 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



of writers, an occasional picture of the times, may be gathered from 

 the works of Arab-Egyptians. 



The origin of the so-called ' Gothic style of architecture,' is rather 

 suspiciously connected with the entrance of the Arabs into Spain. 

 But leaving this question, the proper Muslim constructions, are 

 everywhere of one character; and may be recognised, by the dome 

 and the pointed arch. Muslim constructions, some of them very 

 early, are numerous in Egypt; but owing to the absence of repre- 

 sentations of living objects, they hardly afford aid in our present in- 

 quiry. 



The establishment of the pilgrimage to Mecca, doubtless tended to 

 draw closer the commercial relations between India and Europe; 

 and these relations, it should be observed, were entirely in the hands 

 of the Muslims. Indeed, after allowing for some slight divergence 

 on account of Palestine and the route of the Euphrates ; all the Tro- 

 pical plants, which reached the Mediterranean prior to the discovery 

 of America, appear to have arrived by the way of Egypt. 



The Jmffalo of India, is the most important domestic animal, intro- 

 duced during the early Muslim Period. The buffiilo, is mentioned 

 by Allatafet (a. d. 1453); and the animal, is at the present day 

 extremely common in Egypt. 



Avicenna (about a. d. 1050), speaks of ' Makassar,' on the island of 

 Celebes; and likewise of camphor ; an article of commerce, princi- 

 pally derived from China. According to Clot-Bey and Figari, the 

 camphor-tree, (Laurus camphora,) has been recently introduced 

 into Egypt. 



The common cucumber (Cucurnis sativus), is in Egypt called 'khyar;' 



and under this name, is mentioned by Avicenna. The plant, ap- 

 pears to have been derived from Hindoostan. 

 The sanclal-wood (Santalum album) is mentioned by Arab-Egyptian 



writers. And the living plant, according to Clot-Bey and Figari, 



has been recently introduced into Egypt. 

 Turmeric (Curcuma), was probably kno\^'n in Egypt as an article of 



commerce, d.uring the early Muslim Period. 

 G?im-/ac, from Pegu ; seems likewise to have been known in Egypt 



during the early Muslim Period. 

 Uvaria aromatica. The dried fruit, is mentioned by Lobel, Mathioli, 



and Delile, as brought down the Nile from the Interior of Africa. 



