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Taken from: Herbelot; Bibliotheque orientale: ou Dictionnaire universel contenant tout ce qui fait...
Autour de La Geographie Orientale. Et Au-dela: En
L'Honneur de J. Thiry by Laurence Denooz
Abd el Moal,(Abdalmaal) translator into Persian of Massahat al ardh by Abdal al Gionder. It has been impossible to identify the authors or the book.
Abdalmaal gives as borders for Ethiopia; in the south Zanguebar, in the east the Red Sea; North; the desert that is between the Red Sea, Nubia, and upper Thebaide (1); and west the desert of Bagiah or Beggiah (2).
Macdoscho (Mogadishu): City situated between Ethiopia and Zanzuebar close to the mouth of a river that starts at the feet of the mountains of the moon just like the Nile. This stream rises in the summer, just like the Nile of Egypt and the one of the Sudan, so it is like a third Nile that goes towards the east through the land of Berberah (3) and ends up in the sea of Oman. The city of Macdofcho (Mogadishu) is before reaching the equator and inhabited by Muslims who came to live there during the days of the caliphs of Egypt.
Bais (4): Town in the country of the Zenge. Situated on the shore, between the towns of Sofala and Mambafa and is one of the most densely populated and most business oriented of that part.
(the slaves from Berbera) are more liked then those of Nubie, Ethiopia or Senega (5), because they are more reddish, while the others are more towards the yellow.
About Sofala: the people of that town are Muslims, they have no horses, but they use cattle instead, with which they even make war.
Zagauah : town in the land of Sofalah ; between the equator and the first clime.
(1) upper Thebaide: name of a desert region in southern Egypt.
(2) Bagiah or Beggiah: Beja people from Sudan. The Egyptians leaving from Aswan; the southern border town on the Nile; have to cross their territory to reach the harbours on the Red Sea.
(3) Berberah: Barbara; Brbr: Barbar of East Africa (north Somali coast).
(4) Bais: El'Banas of Idrisi (1150): Bais with Abd-el-Mo'al (15th?); Al-Bais of Al Umari (1349); Al Himyari: Banas; Ibn Said (1250): Banyna; Abulfida (1331): Batyna.
(5) Senega: the area around the Senegal river.