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of ancient times, is, that it was probably known to, and invaded and conquered, by land, by the Turks, not many years after the death of Solomon, as will be seen.

It will now be shown that the country in question is noted

for all the riches and productions with which the ships were laden.

"Pegu, in the 16th century, was visited by Gasparo Balbi, a Venetian jeweller; and he relates that the magazines of gold, silver, Ganza, jewels, &c., were under separate treasurers; and that the king was the richest in the world, except the Emperor of China. In the year 1600 the King of Pegu was slain by the King of Tangut, who laded six or seven hundred elephants and as many horses with gold and jewels; not regarding the silver, which, with all the artillery, was seized by the King of Aracan, to an immense amount. Bonferrus relates that the Peguans are descendants of Solomon's people. The largest elephants in the world are here found in abun→ dance, and also apes, parrots, and peacocks." See Purchas (vol. i. 33 to 40), who is of opinion that Pegu is Ophir.

Ebony is produced in Ava,—the ebenoxylum verum, or true jet black kind. (Rees's Cyc." Birman.")

Almug wood is said to be cedar, fir, cypress. (Rees's Cyc. "Almiggim.")

Josephus describes it as pine wood in abundance, of such great size and beauty, that Solomon had never before seen any that was comparable; not like common pine, but with the grain of the fig-tree, only rather whiter and more glossy: and that it was used as pillars and supporters of the Temple and palaces, and also for harps, psalteries, &c."* Abundance of fir-trees grow at the present epoch in the kingdom of Ava. (See Rees's Cyc. " Birman.")

Spices. Pepper of several kinds †, ginger, cardamums, turmeric, three or four kinds of capsicum, cassia fistula, cinna

Josephus, Book viii. ch. 11.

Peacocks feed on pepper. The writer, while shooting on the banks of the Luckia river in Bengal, flushed a flock of about twenty of these splendid birds in a field of grass, just high enough to hide them. A more beautiful sight can scarcely be imagined. One which he shot, had in his crop more than a hundred Chili pepper pods, the smallest and hottest kind known. The tail of the bird was full six feet in length,

mon laurel, nutmeg, spikenard, all grow in this country.(Rees's Cyc. "Birman.")

Elephants and precious stones. No country produces such large elephants; jewels of all kinds abound in this once opulent region. The reader, who has any doubts on these points, may have ample evidence in the 7th chap. of the Wars and Sports of the Mongols and Romans.

Josephus, speaking of Saphira whence Solomon had his gold, says that it was a country of India, and not an island, and that it is now called by the name of Aurea*. .

Ava and Pegu are, in Ptolemy's map, named Argentea Regio, and Aurea Regio. The city of Pegu was anciently Sabara Civitas; Persain, or Basseen, was Barabouna Empo

rium.

: Colonel Symes mentions that the analogy between the Birmans and ancient Egyptians, in many particulars, is highly deserving of notice; that Phra was the name under which the Egyptians adored the sun (before it was named Osiris), and a title for their kings and priests; and that Praw, or Phraw, in the Birman country, imports lord, and is always annexed to a sacred building, and is a sovereign and sacred title, probably the same as Pharaoh. The temple of Shoemadoot was founded 2300 years ago.

"The ruins of the walls of Terrechetteree are of massive thickness, and may be traced through a circuit of ten miles. The enormous masses of brick pagodas in Pegu are of immemorial age, and approach nearer to the pyramids than any other relic of antiquity. The constant ornaments of the religious edifices are sphinxes, griffins, mermaids, and crocodiles, which are the exact symbols of the religion of the Egyptians. Would not this warrant the conclusion, that some *Phil. Trans. 1767, lvii. 155.

Shoe means golden. There is also a temple called Shoedagoung, or Shoedagon. Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man, and downward fish."-Milton, Book i. 462. It is well worth inquiry at Rangoon, whether the shape and rites of their god dagon have any analogy with those of the Philistines: and in this enquiry, it will be ascertained, whether there be any reference or connexion with the fish found in those seas called dugong. Some curious information may probably be obtained on this subject.

Symes, 8vo. vol. ii. 62-76.

unknown cause exists for the similarity?-but this is a wild hypothesis, and very little borne out by probability." (Two Years in Ava, by Captain T. A. Trant. Monthly Rev., Nov. 1827.) It is a curious circumstance that mummy is with the Birmans a favourite medicine*; but it may possibly mean the Arabian drug so called, which is used as a medicine also. The use of the body as medicine was first introduced by the Jews f.

The following subject is not necessarily connected with the above, but it is added because it is short, and probably new to most readers.

With regard to the Turks, their first great hero, Oguz, appears to have been a Siberian . The Ottomans and the Moguls of the race of Genghis Khan claim descent from him §. Oguz was the grandson of Mogul Khan, the founder of that race. The exact epoch of Oguz is obscure; he is said to have attained the great age of 116 years. "When Cajumars, Prince of Chorassan, died, his son Haushang was in his minority, and the lords quarrelling for the reins, Oguz marched to Azerbijan, Irak, and Armeen, which countries he conquered ||." Caiumaras died, and Husheng succeeded to the throne, according to Sir William Jones (vol. v. 587), in the year B. C. 865; and this is, perhaps, the nearest approach to the know

*Rees's Cyc." Birman."

Rees, "Mummy."

Strahlenberg was informed by Tartars and Russians at Tobolsk, that to the south-west of that city, between the sources of the Tobol and Ischim, which few people frequented, there were great numbers of images cut in stone, of men and beasts, and that the ruins of several cities were discernible in those deserts; and that this was the place where Oguz Khan the Great had his residence.-Hist. of Siberia, p. 4. Tamerlane, when he was in this neighbourhood, acknowledged it to be the country of Oguz.

There is a great similarity of customs and ceremonies in these two people, who have often been rivals. They have each conquered Siberia and China, and all, or part of India extra Gungem; they both have peacocks as supporters for their thrones. The Chinese wall was built B.C. 221; and a century afterwards, Vu-ti, emperor of China, also conquered Pegu, Bengal, (probably Eastern Bangalla, described in Wars and Sports, ch. vii.) Siam, and Cambodia. He divided those countries among the generals who had conquered them; but they soon contracted the manners of the Tartars, and became the greatest enemies of the mother country. -Du Halde, Wars and Sports, p. 89.

Abul Ghazi, p. 19. JULY-SEPT. 1828.

L

ledge of the epoch of Oguz that can be obtained; but the chronology of these heroes and events cannot be very correctly known; nor is the exact truth in that respect of much importance in this sketch. The 7th century B. C. is generally the epoch assigned to Oguz: some, perhaps, reckon from his birth, and others from his death. Solomon is said to have died about B.C. 975; therefore Oguz would undoubtedly be acquainted with the wealth of the Hebrews, and be inflamed with the ambition to pay a visit to the country which furnished such various and abundant articles of luxury and grandeur.

"The Turks had professed the true religion," says Abul Ghazi, "till the reign of Cara Khan, the son of Mogul and father of Oguz; but at this epoch idolatry had increased so much, that the son would destroy his parent, and the father his child, who showed an inclination to return to the true worship. When Oguz was born, his face shone miraculously like the sun, and he was continually pronouncing the word Allah.

When Oguz succeeded to the throne, he resolved to force the subjects of his grandfather, Mogul, to adopt the true reli gion *. He invaded Dsurdsut (Gurgut or Zinu) on the frontiers of Kitay †, and the booty was immense. He was seventy-two years at war, and brought the people back to the true religion. After which he conquered the empire of Kitay¦, the city of Dsurdsut, the kingdom of Tangut, and Cara Kitay §,

It is not unlikely that the introduction of the religion of Budda, or Boodh, was the innovation. Boodh was born, says Sir William Jones, B.C. 1027. The subject of Boodh's person and country is very obscure. "He had curled hair," says Sir William Jones, "was not a native of India, and was probably Sesostris." " I am inclined," says Herodotus, "to think that the Colchians were descended from the troops of Sesostris, because they are black, and have hair short and curling. They have also similar manners, the same language, and their manufacture of linen is alike.' (Euterpe, civ. cv.) If the Peguans have preserved their early history, it will probably clear up some points relating to the Pharaoh's, Boodh, the Turks, and the Syrians.

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In the map with Abul Ghazi, Zinu is in north lat. 32°. At this epoch Singan was the capital of Kitay, which never means more than the northern half of China.

B.C. 777. A torrent of Tartars distracted China.-Vide Du Halde, vol. i. p. 163.

§ Cara (black). Cathay is on the map in lat. 23 to 30, now partly Assam. Other territories have borne this name from the colour of the rich soil; it may in this case designate the black people.

about the lake Mohill*, where the people are as black as Indians. From hence, passing behind Kitay, he found on the sea-coast, among the mountains, very warlike people, whose khan was called Itburac, and who, with a good army, received him so bravely, that he was constrained to go back and post himself in an advantageous camp between two great rivers. Oguz and his chief officers carried their wives with them. Seventeen years afterwards, Oguz conquered the dominions+ of Itburac, and put him to death. Cabul, Gazna, Cashmere, Damascus, Turquestan, Great Bucharia, Balc, &c. fell to this great conqueror, who, at his decease, made a just distribution. of his empire among his numerous relations‡.

By the above short essay, some perhaps may be induced to conclude that Ava was the true Ophir. With regard to the navigation, it was more approachable than some of the places mentioned; and on that point those who have contended for Malacca and Sumatra will have nothing to oppose. The facts are too remarkable not to attract the attention of literary gentlemen in Bengal and Ava; and further enquiries in those countries will very probably lead to curious discoveries on this question.

On the Sap of the Rose Tree.

Communicated by R. Addams, Esq.

A FEW weeks since I had an opportunity of collecting a considerable quantity of sap from a rose tree, and I was induced to submit it to a chemical examination. The following are its characteristics:

It was transparent, and colourless when viewed as drops, but in large portions it appeared a little opalescent. It was tasteless and inodorous. Specific gravity 1.001. It contained no uncombined acid or alkali.

* In the map, lat. 27o.

A note says this means Tonquin and Cochin China; but the positions of those countries beyond so many large rivers, seem to warrant the conclusion that Assam, Ava, and Arracan, were the territories conquered by Oguz, as has been mentioned in page 89 of " Wars and Sports;" and this conjecture is strengthened by the circumstance of Boodh having introduced his religion first into Arracan, and thence into Ava.-Rees's Cyc." Boodh."

Abul Ghazi, (a descendant from Genghis Khan.) Vol. i. p. 11, ch. ii.