"الجغرافيا الشرقية لابن حوقل، رحّالة عربي من القرن العاشر" [‎٣‎٠] (٣٨٨/٤٥)

xxx PREFACE.
The chief obscurity, as well as importance, consists in the
proper names. From my accuracy, therefore, in observing
the original orthography of these, every advantage which
could result from a perusal of the manuscript is presented to
Ihe reader-, for the passages merely descriptive or narrative
contain few difficulties, and these few are noticed.
The illustrations and notes above mentioned, as I have
reason to hope that the time and labour spent in collecting
them were not employed in vain, shall soon be offered to the
Publiclc. They will form part of a JTork in which I propose
to examine the Geographical System of the Asiaticks—to ex
tract, from a multiplicity ofArabick and Persian Authors, their
\
descriptions of Countries and Cities, Rivers, Mountains, Seas,
Islands, &c.—to give exact imitations of many original Maps
preserved in rare and curious manuscripts; and to inquire
how far the Geographers of Asia agree with those of ancient
Greece and Rome, and with modern Europeans. I shall col
lect all the traditions that can illustrate local History and
Antiquities, and construct JSlaps, according to the best au
thorities, 7ioi only of the Asiatick regions, but of Africa and
Europe, as described by Eastern writers *.
* Besides the Geographical Treatises of Abulfcdn, Edrisi and others, well knotvn to the