P8 – 9 – 10

There was heretofore in ancient Masre (1) (which is Emsos)(2) a King-Priest named Gancam (3), of the race of Gariac (4) the son of Aram, of whom the ancient Egyptians tell several stories, part whereof are beyond all likelihood. He lived before the Deluge, which he by his science foresaw; whereupon he commanded the demons who accompanied him to build him a palace beyond the equinoctial line, which the ruins of this Universe could not reach. They built the castle seated on the descent of the Mountain of the Moon, which is the Castle of Brass, where are the Brazen Statues (5), in number LXXXV; out of the throats whereof issues the water of the Nile, which falls into a fen full of gravel, whence the water of the Nile flows into Egypt and other climates, distributed and proportionally compassed; for were it not for that it would spread over the greatest part of the earth. The spirits having built him that castle, he had the curiosity to see it, and make his abode therein. To that end he sat in a pavilion made purposely with much artifice, and the spirits carried him on their shoulders to the castle; where having considered the excellency of the structure, and beauty of its walls, with the sculptures and the paintings that were about it, and the figures of the Celestial Bodies, and divers other wonderful things; for in the greatest obscurity of the night people saw clearly without torches. There were tables set and spread with all sorts of meat, yet none perceived to set them there; so all sorts of drinks in vessels of marble, gold, and silver, which he made use of; yet were they not increased or diminished. In the middle of the castle there was a cistern of water congealed into ice, whereof the motion might be perceived through that part which was frozen; as one sees through a glass what is contained in it. Having considered all this, he was astonished thereat, and immediately returned into Egypt; where he left for his Lieutenant and successor his son Gariac (4), recommending his subjects to him, and the government of the kingdom; and then he returned to the castle, and continued there till he died. He is thought to be author of the Books of the Copts, out of which they take their stories, and all that is to happen till the end of the World.

P150 -151

Mahumet the son of Gali, the son of Gabdol the Teminian, says thus: A Barbarian Egyptian of the Inhabitants of Copta, skilled, in the History of Egypt, and what concerns the nature and properties of the country, told me that he found it written in one of their ancient books, that the Nile of Egypt hath its rising out of a lake in the most remote Countries of the West, on both sides whereof the Kings of the Moors have their Habitations; and that by the lake there is a great mountain, always covered with snow winter and summer, out of which there falls down water, besides many springs that are in the lake, and which do also supply some; and that it is thence the water of the Nile comes; which is afterwards augmented by Rains, which augmentation happens, in regard the rains fall in summer in the country of the Moors, whence it comes that the Nile overflows in summer, and not in Winter in Egypt; that in all the former climates, and in part of the second, the rains fall in the summer, and in like manner in India, and in Sind, and in the other countries, which are in the same latitude, as well in the East, as in the West.

(1) Masre: Misr =Egypt

(2) Amosus: several Pharaohs had the name Ahmose. Wasif Shah (1209) writes: “There was in old Misr, whose name was then Amsus ….” so it should have been an old name for Egypt. Murtada Ibn al-Afif (d1237) has Emsos; Nuwayri (1333): Amosus; al Maqrizi (1441): Amsus Amsous; Assus in Annon: Dhikr Kalam (15th); Suyuti (1505): Amsous.

(3) Gancam: the Anqam the priest of Wasif Shah (1209); Nuwayri : Nihayat al-Arab (1333) and Murtada Ibn al-Afif (d1237); Ibn al-Dawadari (1335) and Makrizi (1441) have Eiqam ; Annon: Dhikr Kalam (15th) has Am Kaam; Murtada Ibn al-Afif (1237) Gancam. Anqam, son of Aram : Aram was a son of Shem son of Nun, and the father of Uz, Hul, Gether and Mash.

(4) his son Arnak: Wasif Shah (1209) has Arbaq; Nuwayri (1333) has Arnak; and Murtada Ibn al-Afif (d1237) has Gariac.

(5) Brazen Statues, in number LXXXV: the 85 copper or bronze statues build at the source of the Nile by Hermes. They are mentioned by the following authors: Wasif Shah: Maslamah ibn Ahmad Majriti (1050); Wasif Shah (1209); Murtada Ibn al-Afif (1237); Picatrix: (1256); Nuwayri (1333); Ibn al-Dawadari (1335); al Maqrizi (1441); Ibn al Wardi (1456); Dhikr Kalam al-Nas fi Manba’ al-Nil (15th); Suyuti (d1505).