290 pPant Tsocc, Iseger^f, anil "bijric/. 



then burn it. The Cocoa-Nut is regarded by the natives of India 

 as an oracle in cases of sickness. Thus, if an Indian has fallen ill, 

 they spin a Cocoa-Nut on its end; if the Nut falls towards the 

 west, he will die; if to the east, he will recover. The Deccan 

 Indians never commence any building without first offering Cocoa- 



Nuts to their gods. When a Fijian child is sick, and its friends 



want to know if it will live or die, they shake a bunch of dry Cocoa- 

 Nuts: if all fall off, the little one will recover; if one remains, it 

 will die. The Fijians also spin Cocoa-Nuts, and then prophecy of 

 future events according to the direction in which the eye of the 

 Nut lies when it rests still. 



COCKLE. — The Corn Cockle, or Gith (Agrostemma Githago) is 

 a troublesome weed, of which Gerarde says: "What hurt it doth 

 among Corne, the spoile of bread, as well as in colour, taste, and 

 unwholesomenesse, is better knowne than desired." In the Book 

 of Job, the Cockle coming up instead of the Barley is spoken of as 

 a great misfortune ; but it could not have been the Corn Cockle, 



which is unknown in Palestine and Arabia. The plant is 



alluded to in an old English nursery rhyme, in which a garden 

 allowed to run wild is said to be 



" Full of weeds and Cockle seeds." 



COFFEE. — The Coffee-plant [Coffea Arabica) derives its name 

 from the Kingdom of Caffa, in Africa, where it grows abundantly. 

 The bloom of this tree is similar to the Jasmine in figure and 

 fragrance, while its fruit has the appearance of a Cherry; the 

 liquor prepared from the fruit or berry is said to have been drunk, 

 in Ethiopia, from time immemorial. The Galla, a wandering 

 nation of Africa, in their incursions in Abyssinia, being obliged to 

 traverse immense deserts, and to travel swiftly, were accustomed 

 to carry nothing with them to eat but Coffee roasted till it could 

 be pulverised, and then mixed with butter into balls, and put into 

 a leather bag. One of these, the size of a billiard ball, was said to 

 keep them in strength and spirits during a whole day's fatigue, 



better than bread or meat. To dream of drinking coffee is a 



favourable omen, betokening riches and honour. To the lover it 

 foretells a happy marriage. 



COLCHICUM. — The Meadow Saffron, or Colchicum, derives 

 its name from Colchis, a country on the eastern shore of the 

 Euxine, where it once grew in such abundance as to have led 

 Horace thus to allude to it : — 



" Or tempered every baleful juice 



Which poisonous Colchian glebes produce." 



Colchicum was one of the herbs highly prized and made use of 

 by the enchantress Medea. It is poisonous, and, according to 

 Dioscorides, kills by choking, as do poisonous Mushrooms. Gerarde 

 recommends anyone who has eaten Colchicum, to " drinke the 



