"^ 
1 06 
are of a longitudinal diredlon, about a fpan m length, and n early- 
two inches wide, a thick whitiih juice immediately begins to fiow, 
which gradually hardens on the bark, and in the courfe of eight 
days acquires the confiftence and appearance in which the Manna is 
imported into Britain, Avhen it is colleded in baikets, and afterwards 
packed in large chefts.J Sometimes the Manna flows in fuch 
abundance from the incifions, that it runs upon the ground, by 
which it becomes mixed with ^/arious impurities, unlefs prevented, 
which is commonly attempted, by interpofmg large concave leaves, 
ftones, chips of wood, &c. The bufmefs of colledling Manna ufually 
terminates at the end of September, when the rainy feafon fets in/ 
Frpm this account it is evident, that Manna is the fuccus proprhis 
of the tree ; any arguments therefore brought to combat th 
opinion of its being a J?2e! a'eriiim^ or honey-dew, are wholly 
unneceiTary : that, with which the Ifraelites were fo peculiarly 
favoured, could only have been produced through miraculous means, 
and is confecpently out of the province of the natural hiftorian. 
Manna is generally diflinguilhed into dilFerent kinds, viz. the Manna 
/ 
.* 
m 
:|: La manne eft le principal revenu de ce pays h de quelques autres q 
voifins. II monte dans une bonne annee a vingt-cinq mille Louis d*or. Hoi 
Pittorefque, torn. i. p. 53. 
^ This account is taken from Houel Voyage Pittorefque^ and Seftini L 
Sicilian and related by Murray : to which we fhall fubjoin Dr. Cirillo's acco 
municated to the Royal Society. Vide Vol. 60. p* 2' 
Voy 
3 
" The manner, in which the rnanna is obtained from the Ornus, though very fimple, 
has been yet very much mifunderftood by all thofe who travelled in the kingdom of 
Naples J and among other things they feem to agree, that the beft and pureft manna is 
obtained from the leaves of the tree; but this, I believe, is an opinion taken from the 
do6trine of the antients, and received as an inconteftible obfervation, without confulting^ 
nature. I never faw fuch a kind, and all thofe who are employed in the gathering of 
the manna, know of none that comes from the leaves. The manna is generally of two 
kinds ; not on account of the intrinfic quality of them being different, but only becaufe 
they are got in a different manner. In order to have the manna, thofe who have the 
management of the woods of the Orni in the month of July and Auguft, when the 
weather is very dry and warm, make an oblong incifion, and take off from the bark of 
the tree about three inches in length, and two in breadth j they leave the wound open^ 
and by degrees the manna runs out, and is almofl fuddenly thickened to its proper con- 
fiftence, and is found adhering to the bark of the tree. This manna, which is colIe£led 
moi 
gain. Th 
# 
of a brownilh colour, and frequently is full of dull and other impurities. But 
when 
