20 GRASSES. 
parts of the Nile, but in the little streams in the 
vicinity. 
The Papyrus, or 
Paper- Reed, has a 
thick triangular stem, 
eight or ten feet in 
height, and is said 
always to turn one of 
its angles toward the 
current, as though to 
break the force of the 
waves. It formerly was 
very abundant in all 
parts of Egypt, Abys- 
sinia, and Syria, but 
modern travellers de- 
scribe it as now being 
very rare. 
From the very ear- 
liest ages of Egypt, papyrus appears to have been 
used for various purposes, but especially for the man- 
ufacture of paper. Herodotus mentions paper made 
from it as being an article of commerce long before 
his time; he calls it byblos. This name, it is sup- 
posed, is the origin of the Greek word biblion, or 
book, whence comes the term Bible. The paper made 
by the ancients was formed of the pellicle found be- 
tween the bark and the fleshy part of the stem; the 
pieces of this were united together until they were 
of a suitable size, when they were pressed and dried 
in the sun. Many manuscripts, written upon this 
