Chap. 40.-] STOBEUM. 135 



All these trees are peculiar to Arabia, but it has some few 

 besides, in common with other countries, of which we shall 

 make mention elsewhere, the kinds growing in Arabia being 

 of inferior quality. The people of that country have a won- 

 derful regard for the perfumes of foreign parts, and import 

 them from places at a considerable distance ; so soon are men 

 sated with what they have of their own, and so covetous are 

 they of what belongs to others. 



CHAP. 39. THE TEEE CALLED BEATES. 



Hence it is, that they import from the country of the 

 Elymaei 2S the wood of a tree called bratus, 29 which is similar in 

 appearance to a spreading cypress. Its branches are of a 

 whitish colour, and the wood, while burning, emits a pleasant 

 odour; it is highly spoken of by Claudius Csesar, in his 

 History, 30 for its marvellous properties. He states that the 

 Parthians sprinkle the leaves of it in their drink, that its smell 

 closely resembles that of the cedar, and that the smoke of it is 

 efficacious in counteracting the effects of smoke emitted by 

 other wood. This tree grows in the countries that lie beyond 

 the Pasitigris, 31 in the territory of the city of Sittaca, upon 

 Mount Zagrus. 



CHAP. 40. THE TEEE CALLED STOBEEM. 



The Arabians import from Carmania also the wood of a 

 tree called stobrum, 32 which they employ in fumigations, by 

 steeping it in palm wine, and then setting fire to it. The 

 odour first ascends to the ceiling, and then descends in volumes 



2S See B. vi. c. 31. 



29 Although the savin shrub, the Juniperus Sabina of Linnaeus, bears 

 this name in Greek, it is evident, as Fee says, that Pliny does not allude 

 to it, but to a coniferous tree, as it is that family which" produces a resinous 

 wood with a balsamic odour when ignited. JBauhin and others would 

 make the tree meant to be the Thuya occidentalis of Linnaeus ; but, as Fee 

 observes, that tree is in reality a native originally of Canada, while the 

 Thuya orientalis is a native of Japan. He suggests, however, that the 

 Thuya articulata of Mount Atlas may have possibly been the citrus of 

 Pliny. 



30 See end of B. v. 



31 All these are mentioned in B. vi. c. 31. 



32 It is not known what wood is meant under this name. Aloe, and 

 some other woods, when ignited are slightly narcotic. 



