On the Manna of the Scriptures. . 177 



Thij^has been mentioned by writers in other parts of Asia ; and as 

 it differs so entirely from other forms of manna, which occur under 

 peculiar ciroumstances, a few facts from various authors may be 

 cited. 



Wellsted,* in his journey from Tor to Mount Sinai, September 

 1836, " found in the Wadi Ilibron, fifteen miles from the sea, and 

 at an elevation of about two thousand feet, the tree which produces 

 the manna. This remarkable substance is secreted by several trees, 

 and in various countries in the East. In some parts of Persia, it is 

 believed to be an insect secretion, and is collected from a shrub called 

 gavany about two feet high, bearing a striking resemblance to the 

 broom. In the hilly district of Looristan (south-east from Koor- 

 distan), as in Mesopotamia, we find it on several species of oak, which 

 there, however, are of more stunted growth than in England. From 

 these the manna is collected in cloths spread beneath them at night, 

 and it then bears the form of large crystal drops of dew, such as we 

 see on the plants in England in the early part of the morning. 

 Burckhardt observes, that at Erzrum a substance resembling manna 

 in taste and consistence, distils from the tree which bears galls, and, 

 with the inhabitants of the country, forms one of the principal ar- 

 ticles of their food. 



In the Horticulturist, No. 7, January 1847, is an article trans- 

 lated from the Revue Horticole, from which we extract the follow- 

 Jowing notice of what appears to be the same (or similar) thing with 

 the gezza. 



" Ehrenberg and Bove described the ' Manna Tamarisk,' which 

 is abundant throughout Arabia, and even found on Sinai, 900 feet 

 above the sea. The women and children collect this, which flowed 

 from the branches of these trees. The Arabs clarify the manna by 

 dissolving it in warm water, and making a syrup, the taste of which 

 is equal to that of the best honey." 



Under the word "Manna," in the Diet. Univ. d'Hort. Nat., Pa- 

 ris, 1846, is mentioned a short, stunted, spinous shrub, Hedysarum 

 alhagiy Linn., Alhagi maurorum, Tourn., as growing in the de- 

 serts of Arabia and Persia, upon which is gathered a white concrete 

 juice, which is called manna alhagi. Olivier, on his return from 

 Turkey, brought to France several pounds of this substance, which, 

 according to Niebuhr, is used in Persia instead of sugar in pastry, 

 &c. 



*• Mr Lindleyt has recently pointed out an oak, Quercus manni- 

 /era, from the leaves of which also drops a sweet substance, which 

 seems to have been mentioned under the name chelber by Olivier. 

 This name, which is applied by the hordes of Korassan and Little 

 Tartary to a nutritious substance which falls on the ground, it is 

 easy to see, approaches very nearly to that of Semljenoi-chleb, by 



* Travels in Arabia, vol. ii., pp. 47, 48. 

 t Revue llort., as already cited. 



VOL, XLIII. NO. LXXXV. — JULY 1847. M 



