( '3' ) 



At about five or fix yards from the ground, 

 it divided into five limbs ; each of which was 

 a mafly tree/' 



A later traveller, Van Egmont, who vifited 

 the fcenes of mount Lebanon, fe^ms alfo to 

 fpeak of the fame trees, which Maundrel 

 mentions. He obferved them, he fays, to 

 be of different ages. The old ftandards had 

 low ftems ; growing like fruit trees. Whereas 

 the younger made a much more {lately ap- 

 pearance, not a little refembling pines. Of 

 the ancient trees he faw only eleven : thofe 

 of younger growth far exceeded that number. 

 Some of thefe old cedars were four, or five 

 fathoms in circumference. Under one of them 

 was erected an altar ; where the clergy of 

 Tripoli, and the neighbouring convent of Maf- 

 furki fometimes celebrated mafs. From this 

 tree fpread five limbs, refembling fubftantial 

 trees, each being about an hundred feet in 

 length ; and inferted into the main trunk about 

 fourteen, or fifteen feet from the ground. 



Thefe are noble dimenfions, tho it is pro- 

 bable, that the befl of the trees now left 

 upon mount Lebanon, are only the refufe of 

 the ancient race; as we may well fuppofe, 

 the beft were occafionally taken firfl. If 

 K 2 Solomon's 



