270 THE TAMARISK. 



in very dry situations, and will bear exposure to any 

 degree of wind, thriving best when within reach of the 

 sea-breeze. The stems and leaves contain a large quantity 

 of sulphate of soda, a fact which accounts for its nourishing 

 not only in such situations, but in the valleys of Arabia, 

 where the springs are often impregnated with salt. It is 

 held in high estimation in that country for its medicinal 

 properties, which appear to have recommended it also to 

 the Romans, and indeed to some of our own countrymen, 

 among whom was Archbishop Grindal. 



The branches of the Arabian variety are commonly 

 loaded with gall-nuts, which, before they dry up, are full 

 of a beautiful, bright red sap, and, being exceedingly 

 astringent, are collected and used in dyeing. The people 

 of Egypt generally use the wood for fuel and building ; 

 bowls and drinking-vessels are also made of it. The 

 Arabs cultivate it on account of the hardness of the wood, 

 which they use for the saddles of their camels, and for 

 other articles that are exposed to rou^h handling. Burck- 

 hardt, in the account of his journey through the wilderness 

 of Sinai, says that it grows in great profusion in a valley 

 to the north of Mount Serbal, and that the Arabs obtain 

 from it a substance which they call mann, and which 

 closely resembles the description of the manna given 

 in Scripture. " In the month of June it drops from the 

 branches upon the fallen twigs and leaves, which always 

 cover the ground beneath the tree in its natural state. 

 The manna is collected before sunrise, when it is coagu- 

 lated ; but it dissolves as soon as the sun shines on it. 

 The Arabs clear away the leaves and dirt which adhere to 

 it, boil it, strain it through a coarse piece of cloth, and 

 put it into leathern skins. In this way they preserve it 

 till the following year, and use it, as they do honey, to 

 pour over their unleavened bread, or to dip their bread 

 into. I could not learn that they ever made it into 

 cakes or loaves. The manna is found only in years when 

 copious rains have fallen : sometimes it is not produced at 



