Vol1 p26

They said that the inhabited portion of this land is about two-thirds of it, or a little more than that; and that is ninety-five degrees. With regard to the Western ocean - which is known as Oceanus (Okcanos) and which borders the lands of the West, including the Canary Islands - between them and its coast is ten degrees, which is approximately one month’s journey. It is not possible to travel or sail across it, due to its waves and the varying winds and waves that exist therein. It contains no fish or other edible life and has nothing that can be extracted from it. It cannot be travelled on for the purpose of trade or anything else and it stretches in the south to the Mountains of Darkness, or the Mountains of the Moon, wherein is the source of the Egyptian Nile. It traverses the equator and then stretches eastward and reaches the south of the land. In it there are the islands of the black people and on its coast there are many ruins. Then it stretches to the east and to the north, until it connects with the Sea of China and India. Then it stretches eastward until it borders the end of the exposed eastern land - and there are the lands of China. Then in the east of China, it turns northward, so that it crosses the lands of China and faces the Dam of Ya'jooj and Ma 'jooj (1). Then it turns and encircles lands whose circumstances are unknown. Then it stretches westward and borders the lands of the Russians and passes them, then turns westward and southward and encircles the land. Then it returns toward the west and the strait pours out from the west to the body of the land, the furthermost point of which ends at the western borders of Ash -Sham (Syria). Then it crosses the lands of the Christians, until it reaches Constantinople and other lands of their.

Vol1 p28

As for the Nile, it is the river which is without equal on Earth in its lightness and its fineness and the distance for which it flows from its beginning to its end. It starts in the mountains of Al-Qumr, i.e. of white. Some said that they are the mountains of Al-Qamar. i.e. the moon and they are in the west of the land, beyond the equator, lying in a southerly direction. It is said that ten streams of water - all of them distant from one another - combine to form it and that each five of them combine to form a lake, then six rivers flow from it, then all of them combine to form another lake and then one river flows from it and that is the Nile. It then passes through the lands of Sudan and Abyssinia and then through Nubia and its main city is Dongola (2). It then passes through Aswan (3), after which it passes through the lands of Egypt. It then goes a little way beyond Egypt and splits into two parts near a village on its shoreline; this village is known as Shattanawf (4). Then the westerly who takes it through Rasheed (5) and pours into the briny sea. As for the easterly flow, it also divides into two flows at Jawjar (6). The western flow passes through the western side of Dimyat (7) and pours into the sea, while the eastern flow passes through Ushmoon Tannah (8), where it pours into a lake east of Dimyat (7). This lake is known as Lake Tinnees or Lake Dimyat (7). The distance between its starting point and its end point is a vast one and this is why it is such a calm river. Ibn Seena (9) said, It has characteristics which no other river on Earth has; these include the fact that measured from its source to its end-point, it is the longest river. In addition, it flows through rocks and sands, but it contains no moss or mire. Also, it does not cause the rocks and stones over which it flows to become green and this is due to its purity, sweetness and calmness. [And of that the increase in the days of a decrease of other rivers, and the decrease in the days of increase and its plenty.] As for the claim made by some, that its source is in an elevated place seen by some people and that they saw there a great horror, beautiful maidens and strange things and that whoever sees it is unable to speak after that, all of these are superstitions of chroniclers and liars.

Vol12 p60

(In the year 273AH=887AD)

And Abu Muasher Almunjim named Jaafar bin Mohammed al-Balkhi (10) professor of his time in the branch of astrology, and has the famous writings, like the entrance on the Zinj; and the thousands; and others. He spoke on facilitation and provisions.

Vol12 p 146

(In the year 305AH=918AD)

Mohammed ibn al-Furat (18)………….. He addressed them, and when he finished, he took off and gave them fifty sacks in each five thousand dirhams (19). And out of his hands and out of nature in the rest of the House of Caliphate, and on the borders of the Tigris there were elephants and giraffes, lions, cheetahs and others, and on the Tigris in the House of Caliphate, and this is one of the strangest incidents occurred this year.

Vol14 p84

(In the year 612AH=1215AD)

Wajeeh the blind (11) Abu Bakr al-Mubarak bin Saeed bin al-Dahan grammatical grammar known as Al-Wajih………………. As for what little you undoubtedly come to the malik, see what he said and he memorized a lot of tales, proverbs and presentations, and knows Arabic, Turkish, Ajami (12), Romans, Habashiya and Al-Zanjieh, and had a long experience in poetry.

Vol 15 p352

(In the year 667AH=1269AD)

In the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah (13), …. And in the fourth entered the elephant and giraffe in the city of Damascus from Cairo, they went down in the green field close to the Al-Ablaq Palace (14), people went to look at them ……

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