From the indigo that grows elsewhere, and this land produces, along with what is brought from Upper Aswan, small, lean donkeys, like rams, with black and white markings. They cannot be ridden, and if taken out of their land, they will surely perish. In Upper Egypt, there are donkeys that are not very fleshy, but they are excellent in their gait and speed of walking. In the sands of the oases and the connected land of al-Jifar, there are many snakes that hide in the sand. When camels pass by, they rise from the sand and throw themselves until they fall into the saddlebags, and there they bite whomever they encounter, who dies immediately. Also, the land of al-Jifar, at the lower part of the oases, is a barren and rugged land. In past times, it was connected to settlements, abundant in blessings, and famous for its goodness. The majority of its people's cultivation was saffron, indigo, safflower, and sugar cane. As for now, it has two inhabited cities. The name of one is al-Jifar, and the second is al-Bahrain. They are like two fortresses, surrounded by palm trees from all sides, and their water is sweet well water. From al-Bahrain to al-Jifar is two days, and from al-Jifar to the oases is three days, with no water in between. The oases mentioned now, in our time, are many small villages with mixed people who cultivate indigo and sugar cane. On the side of the mountain is al-Hajir, the barrier between the land of Egypt and the deserts connected to the land of Sudan. From al-Bahrain to the city of Santarba is four stages. The city of Santarba is small, with a minbar and some Berbers and mixed civilized Arabs. It is at the beginning of the desert. From there to the Syrian Sea, in the northern direction, is one stage. There is the coastal lake, and the people of Santarba drink from wells and springs. The indigo known there surpasses much of the indigo in its quality and excellence.