D. G. Serial. TITLES OF THE ANECDOTES.
      Part IV, Chapter XX = XCV: On the Curious Properties of Natural Objects.
f77b f344b-
f345a
1996 Introduction dealing with the properties of the magnetic stone, the fire-eating animal, and other curious phenomena. Description of the Idol at Somnát, Maḥmúd of Ghazna’s curiosity to know how it was suspended in air without any support, and the discovery of the magnetic equilibrium which was acting upon it. (Cf. Q. A. B. pp. 63—4, s. v., Somnát).
f78a f345a 1997 The author Muḥammad al-‘Awfí’s first experience at sea of the polari­sation of the magnet. (Perhaps this is the earliest account of a compass in Persian literature).
1998 An account of the demonstration of the natural affinity of gold and mercury.
1999 An instance of curing a Persian prince of jaundice by the stone called Ḥajaru’l-Yaraqán, and how it can be obtained through swallows. (al-Qazwíní in Q. A. M. p. 220 mentions on the authority of Aristotle the similar property of the stone “Ḥajaru’s-Ṣanawbar”, which can be obtained by similar methods).
f78b f345b 2000 Another instance of the cure of the disease of stone in the bladder by a stone found in Egypt. (Again al-Qazwíní in Q. A. M. p. 221 quotes from the Shaykhu’r-Ra’ís i. e., Avicenna, a passage about the Ḥajaru’l-Yahúdí which is said to possess the same property of curing kidney stone).
 
D. G. Serial. TITLES OF THE ANECDOTES.
f78b f345b 2001 The wonderful cloud-gathering and rain-producing fire-temple in Armenia. (See above, p. 27).
2002 An account of one of the early wars between the infidel King of Kábul and Náṣiru’d-Dín Sabuktigín, and the advice of an old woman to Maḥmúd of Ghazna to pollute the wondrous spring in the neighbourhood of Nagharu in order to freeze the atmosphere, and thereby render the enemy motionless. (The Ta’ríkh-i-Dawlat-i-Yamíní of Abú Naṣr [‘Utbí] as the source. See above, p. 63). Cf. also Muqaddasí Aḥsanu’t-Taqásím p. 303, who mentions a town Shiyán in the district of Askimasht, where there was a wondrous spring. (Shiyán is situated near Farwán, in Kábul).
f79a 2003 The story of the first appearance of Barmak of Balkh at the court of ‘Abdu’l-Malik b. Marwán, and how he was disgraced for carrying on him poison which affected the poison-detecting armlet of the Caliph; and a similar story related by Barmak about the wondrous silver fish of the ruler of Gurgán whicb possessed the curious property of attracting rubies from the depths of the sea. (Qazwíní Q. A. M. pp. 218—9 under “Ḥajaru’s-Samm” relates the same story ascribing it to Ja‘far b. Barmak and the Caliph Sulaymán b. ‘Abdu’l-Malik. See above, p. 83, ll. 25—43).
f79b f346a 2004 The mysterious disappearance of al-Muqanna‘, the veiled Prophet of Khurásán in the mercury cauldron which was discovered afterwards by the victorious Mu‘adh b. Muslim. A note by the Author about the legend of the triple spiritual conspiracy of Ḥusayn b. Manṣúr al-Ḥalláj (executed in 922 A. D.) who claimed to be God-incarnate; and Náṣir-i-Khusraw (alive until 1064 A. D.) who claimed to be the accredited suc­cessor of the Prophet; and al-Muqanna‘ (according to al-Bírúní d. 785 A. D.) who claimed to be the prophet of God. These three are said to have lived at one time. (The approximate interval between Muqanna‘, the pseudo-prophet, and al-Ḥalláj, the antinomian pantheist, is 137 years; and between the latter and Náṣir-i-Khusraw, the poet-philosopher and Ismá‘ílí propagandist, 142 years. See above I, v, 292. Cf. also, Lit, Hist. Pers. Vol. I, pp. 318—323).
2005 The curious stone presented to a traveller by the King of Sarandíb, which, when boiled in melted butter, produced an ointment that was proof against the cuts of steel. (Cf. Q. A. M. p. 237: “Manṭús: Aristotle says ‘this is an Indian stone, which resists steel, when struck with it’”).
f80a f346b 2006 The wearing of the shoe made of the scales of a fish called “Samaku’l-Yahúd”, as a sure remedy for gout.
2007 An account of the confiscation of the property of BukhtYishú‘, and his execution. He possessed a stone which he kept in a casket. His slave points out to the Caliph al-Mutawakkil its curious property of removing the hair, and also mallciously advises him to renew its chemical properties, yearly, by putting it in blood, upon which the stone became useless (Cf. Q. A. M. p. 235, who mentions a stone called “Láqiṭu’sh-Sha‘r”, and quotes Aristotle).
2008 An autobiographical account of the stay of the Author at the court of the Sultan Nuṣratu’d-Dín ‘Uthmán b. Ibráhím b. Ḥusayn, the Ílak Khán of Turkistán who ruled in Samarqand between 600 and 609 A. H. An explanation of the verse of the poet Manṣùr-i-Manṭiqí, concerning the allusion of the poet to the special effect of joy and exhilaration produced on a Persian in the land of Tibet. When the prince asked what the allusion meant, the Author, having studied a work on the chemical properties of natural objects composed by his maternal uncle, Majdu’d-Dín Muḥammad b. Ziyá’u’d-Dín ‘Adnán as-Surkhakatí, the court-phy­sician of the prince’s father, explained it, by describing the effect of a species of magnetic stone, called the “Ḥajaru’l-Báhit” (Q. A. M. pp. 211—2), found in Tibet, which excites laughter in foreigners. After this the Author was much favoured by the prince and patronised at the court. (The Khawáṣṣ-i-Ashyá is mentioned in this connection; see above, p. 67). A similar instance of an explanation of a verse (of the Qur’án) in a literary talk at the court of the same prince is mentioned by the Author in the Lubáb, Part I, pp. 44—5.
      The author closes this chapter after enumerating certain properties of the magnetic stone, probably from personal experience.
      The chapter ends with a panegyric on the Wazír.