It's branches, he fays, grow horizontally 

 about twelve cubits ; and then take a direc- 

 tion to the earth, where they root themfelves ; 

 and when they have attained maturity, con- 

 tinue to propagate in the fame manner, till 

 the ground is covered with them for a con- 

 fiderable fpace j or, as Strabo more expreffively 

 defcribes it, till the whole becomes like a 



tent fupported by many columns *. This 



feems to be the tree, of which Milton 

 fpeaks -, 



Branching fo broad, and long, that in the ground 

 The bended twigs take root ; and daughters grow 

 About the mother tree ; a pillared (hade, 

 High over-arched, with echoing walks between. 

 There oft the Indian herdfman, fhunning heat, 

 Shelters in cool j and tends his pafturing herds 

 At loop-holes cut through thickeft fliade. 



Modern travellers fpeak of an Indian tree 

 like this, (the only tree of the kind they 

 know,) which they call the Banian tree, or 

 Indian fig. In it's mode of propagation, it 

 correfponds rather with Strabo's defcription, 

 than Evelin's. We are informed however, 



, p. 694. edit. Caus. 



that, 



