‘The Oriental geography of Ebn Haukal, an Arabian traveller of the tenth century’ [‎37] (90/388)

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sion are situated a » j L o Kicisah, and Jerjeir, and
Kakour. The opposite division, on the right side of the river
Nile, they call wOJ Zeif. These two places contain the
chief villages of Egypt. The gold mines are in the land of
Bajeh. From Asouan to that place is a journey of fifteen
farsang. The country where those mines are situated is sandy,
and without any hills, fields, or tilled land: it furnishes slaves lor
Egypt. There are asses and mules, of considerable value, in Egypt:
no other country, produces sucn. I he district ot Asouan afToids
asses not larger than sheep, which will not live when brought out
of that country j and in the land ot Sciicd there are fecial o-
nian asses, Kheran Siklabi. The Egyptians say
that the land of Khefa, or Khefakar, was inhabited and
cultivated in the time of Pharaoh.
v.'f y \ ^ Q. , ■; ...
Description of Sham, or Syria.
T he western side of Syria is bounded by Roum*; the
eastern, by the desert from a I j I Aileh to the I oral (river
Euphrates), and from the Euphrates to the borders of Roum. To
* Perhaps the word bji [Sea) has been here omitted ; The Sea of Roum, or Me
diterranean,