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MANUSCRIPT D 4

Introduction

The full work of which a precis and part translation^ follows contains about forty pages of Arabic MS. It was written so recently as 191 1 by Daud Kubara ibn Sulayman, a Berberi of Haifa, and is a medley of history and tradition. Much of it relates to such irrelevant facts as the names of village sheikhs and the kinds of vegetables grown in different parts. The account given of the intestine troubles of Nubia in the eighteenth century is of some interest, and the record of what

is presumably the traditional belief of the people as to the origin of the Nubian race is of distinct value.

I The author of the work is Daud Kubara ibn Sulayman of Haifa town.

II In his prefatory remarks he states that, being moved by enthusiasm

to learn the history of Nubia, he consulted "the learned men of the Nubians (^*-j^I) and the Turks whose ages were about a hundred

years and more " on the subject, and from their statements compiled this work, which he calls " The Precious Pearls of Useful Know-

ledge^' or 'M Compendium of the History and Geography of EL XTba (ij^JI), and the Reasons of the Coming of the Turks in

the Time of the Sultan Selim I and in the Time of Muhammad 'AH Pasha, the Founder of the Khedivial Dynasty, until the Present

Day." III The opening remarks are an eulogy of the ancient glories of the

Nubians (iuyJl), with special reference to "the city of Barkal, the first capital of the Nubians (^c-oyJt)," and "the city of Donkola el 'Aguz, the seat of the power of King Donkol," and el Khandak,

and Arko, and Sai, and Wadi Haifa, and " Faras, which was the capital of the famous kingdom of King Kaykalan," and Ibrim. IV The work proper now begins, and the first chapter is headed

"The Capital of the Kingdom of the Nuba," and straightway pro- ceeds as follows:

" Its capital was Gebel 'Abd el Hadi, which lies between Dongola

* .So much as is a prdcis is given in small type. Actual quotation only (in inverted commas) is in ordinary type.