MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 405 



ing hunger, but furnishes a grateful shade to the traveler. Seeing a 

 cluster of trees afar off upon the desert, he is sure to find there a pool 

 of water. Every part of the tree is used for some purpose. So much 

 are the Arabs attached to the tree that it is related that an Arab wo- 

 man was once taken to England. After remaining there four years, 

 upon her return many questions were asked her concerning the coun- 

 try, the people, etc. To all she gave favorable answers, but she con- 

 cluded by saying, "England wants one thing," " What is that '?" they 

 asked. "There is not a single date tree in the whole country. I looked 

 for nothing else when there, but looked in vain." The minds of her 

 listeners were at once filled with pity and they wondered how people 

 could live in a country where there were no date trees. 



This is analagous to the story of the Kortli Carolinian, who moving 

 to Missouri became discontented and moved back next year. Being 

 asked the reason, he answered, "I cannot get pine knots to make a 

 light with." 



The Bamboo of the east is probably used for more purposes than 

 any other tree. From it houses are made, bridges built, baskets, cups, 

 ropes, sails, cloths, troughs, pumps, fences, paper and many other things 

 are made, and the j^oung shoots are eaten. 



There is a tree in the island of Java called the Upas tree. For a 

 long time, it was believed that the atmosphere in its immediate vicinity 

 was so deadly in its effects, that neither plant nor animal could survive 

 after breathing it. • But it is now known that other trees do grow near 

 it, and that man can also safely approach it ; but a poison is extracted 

 from its sap. 



Some trees grow very curiously, others attain a great size. A 

 species of palm grows in the island of Tenerift'e which is called the 

 Dragon tree. HumboMt considered one of these to be the oldest 

 known tree, and there are existing documents proving it to have been 

 as large in the 15th centur;v as at present. It was 60 feet high with 

 finger like jointed branches at top, was 48 feet in circumference at the 

 root and 10 feet in diameter at the height of 12 feet. A Baobab tree 

 in Senegal is supposed to be 5,150 years old. One, a Cypress at Cha- 

 pultepec, Mexico, is 117 feet in circumference. The celebrated Chest- 

 nut tree of Mt. JBtna apparently consists of five large and two small 

 trees, growing closely together and are considered as one tree ; but 

 the stems are said to be united beneath the ground into one big trunk. 

 The largest trunk is 38 feet in circumference, and the entire distance 

 around the cluster is 165 feet. 



A public road wide enough for two coaches to drive abreast ex- 



