CHAPTER VIII 



SCRUB 



Famous countries which were covered by it — Trees which are colonizing 

 the desert — Acacia scrub in East Africa, game and lions — Battle be- 

 tween acacia and camels, etc. — Australian half-deserts — Explorers' 

 fate — Queen Hatasu and the first geographical expedition recorded — 

 Frankincense, myrrh, gums, and odorous resins — Manna — Ladanum 

 — Burning bush — OUves, oranges, and perfume farms — Story of roses 

 —Bulgarian attar of roses — How pomade is made — Cutting down 

 of forests and Mohammed. 



A SCRUB or Half-desert does not seem at first sight to be 

 in the least interesting. 



But if one remembers such places as Cordoba, 

 Seville, Florence, Genoa, Sicily, Athens, Constantinople, the 

 great cities of Ephesus, Corinth, etc., of St. PauPs Epistles, 

 Persia, Arabia, Palestine, and Carthage, surely the countries 

 which have had such splendid histories deserve a chapter to 

 themselves. What achievements in war, in art, in literature, 

 and in romance are connected with these lands bordering the 

 Mediterranean or fringing the great deserts of Sahara and 

 central Asia! 



The animals which belong to such country are also 

 interesting. It is the home of the camel, ass, horse, 

 donkey, not to speak of the giraffe, rhinoceros, gazelle, 

 antelope, zebra, lion, and hyena. 



The plants are full of interest too, and some of them are 

 of great importance to man. The Olive, Orange, Fig, Roses, 



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