Anecdota Oxoniensia. Semitic series.

vi

PREFA CE.

and among other defects does not express the J of the article before
the 'solar letters,' or the shortening of the long final vowel in y. and
other words before the article, or the Hamzah except in the middle
of a word; nor are the nuances in the pronunciation of the vowels
indicated; but perhaps no other system is preferable to this. The
vocalization of the Arabic forms of names of places is, where possible,
that of Yakut, as being in use at the time of our author.
In the transcription of the text the original has been closely
followed, the diacritical points alone being added where they were
wanting. Some of the deviations, however, from classical orthography and grammar are indicated by foot-notes on the first few pages
of the text.
The existence of the work has long been known to scholars
through the references made to 'Abu Selah,' and the passages quoted
from him by Eusebe Renaudot and 1tienne Quatremere. Recently
also, M. Amlelineau, in his Geographic de Ie lgypte ad I'opaqe copte, has
made some little use of the history of Abu,Salih, although he has by
no means extracted all the information which the book affords on the
subject of Egyptian geography.
M. Amelineau seems to be fully aware of the value of the work
of Abu Salih, at least in certain portions. On the other hand, he
seems to have an exaggerated idea of the difficulties presented by
the MS. 'It is very badly written in point of language,' he says,
'and most of the diacritical points are wanting; yet I have translated
'the whole of it, in spite of the difficulties which it presents. I believe
'that the MS. is incomplete in several parts, and has been badly
'bound together. The possessor of the MS. has erased the Coptic
'numerical figures at the top of each leaf, in order, no doubt, that
'the absence of part of the MS. might escape notice. Nevertheless,
'the figures are still visible, and enable me to conclude that a con