126 ‘ THE CLASSICAL PLANTS OF SICILY. 
Lady have doubtless originated. Wreaths, coronets, and 
bouquets made either of natural, or of artificial plants of 
every colour and form, have been, from the earliest times, the 
delights and ornaments of those fairest of created beings— 
Women, in every civilized nation and climate of the world. 
But I was much surprised in learning from a recent work 
—Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme, par M. Lesson,—that 
the barbarian natives of some of the South Sea islands, 
instead of adorning themselves with crowns and tufts of 
the feathers of birds, the skins of wild beasts, and shells; 
and instead of attaching rings of wood, teeth of fish, and 
bones of animals to different parts of their bodies, which 
is the general custom with savages of every country, take a 
natural pleasure in, and prefer plants and flowers. M. Lesson 
tells us in particular that the Oceanians, Otaheitans, and the 
inhabitants of the Caroline and Sandwich Isles, wear garlands 
of flowers and sweet-smelling leaves upon their persons and 
garments; they delight in making wreaths of flowers of the 
most beautiful colours skilfully intermixed with others which 
possess the sweetest scents,— inter alia, the blossoms of the 
Arum, Ixora, Gardenia florida, and Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis. 
They likewise fix a single stalk through a hole in each ear, 
and suspend a fragrant flower (an Zar-gay,) in the place of 
an Ear-ring. They are extremely fond of vegetable per- 
fumes, and communicate to their dresses the odour of the fruit 
of the Tamanou (Calophyllum Inophyllum.) Although, I 
believe, in no country are flowers held in such estimation as 
in the East—for there the Greek and Turkish females, well 
skilled 
In “all the Token flowers that tell 
What words can never speak so well," 
use them for ** token of love and amity," and every indi- 
vidual flower and fruit and plant is represented to be an 
emblem of deeds or wishes, and to bear a distinct significa- 
tion. On these hieroglyphics refer to a paper by M. Ham- 
mer,in the Classical Journal, No. xvii. March, 1814. p. 208. 
—(Dodwell.) 
