Chap. 43.] 



CASSIA. 141 



then sew them in the fresh skins of cattle that have been 

 killed expressly for the purpose ; the object being that the 

 skins may putrefy, and the maggots generated thereby may 

 eat away the woody parts, and so excavate 47 the bark; which 

 is so intensely bitter, that it is quite safe from their attacks. 

 That which is the freshest is the most highly esteemed ; it 

 has a very delicate smell, and is so extremely hot to the taste, 

 that it may be said to burn the tongue, rather than gradually 

 warm the mouth. It is of a purple colour, and though of 

 considerable volume, weighs but very little in comparison ; the 

 outer coat forms into short tubes which are by no means easily 

 broken : this choice kind of cassia, the barbarians call by the 

 name of lada. There is another sort, again, which is called 

 balsamodes, 43 because it has a smell like that of balsam, but it 

 is bitter ; for which reason it is more employed for medicinal 

 purposes, just as the black cassia is used for unguents. There 

 is no substance known that is subject to greater variations in 

 price : the best qualities sell at fifty denarii per pound, others, 

 again, at five. 



(20.) To these varieties the dealers have added another, 

 which they call daphnoides, 49 and give it the surname of isocin- 

 namon; 60 the price at which it sells is three hundred 

 denarii per pound. It is adulterated with storax, and, in 

 consequence of the resemblance of the bark, with very small 

 sprigs of laurel. Cassia is also planted in our 51 part of the 

 world, and, indeed, at the extreme verge of the Empire, on the 

 banks of the river Ehenus, where it flourishes when planted 

 in the vicinity of hives of bees. It has not, however, that 

 scorched colour which is produced by the excessive heat of the 

 sun ; nor has it, for the same reason, a similar smell to that 

 which comes from the south. 



CHAP. 44. CANCAMUM AND TARTJM. 



From the confines of the country which produces cinnamon 



47 There is little doubt that all this is fabulous. 



48 Or, "smelling like balsam." 



49 " Looking like laurel." 



50 " Equal to cinnamon." Fee thinks that it is a variety of the Laurus 

 cassia. . * 



31 He probably alludes to the Daphne Cnidium of Linnaeus, which, as 

 Fee remarks, is altogether different from the Laurus cassia, or genuine 

 cassia. 



