THE OLIVE. 319 



by Apollodorus, which was said to be as old as the 

 foundation of the citadel. Stuart supposed it to have 

 stood in the portico of the temple of Pandrosus 

 (called by him the Pandroseum) from the circum- 

 stance of the air necessary for its support, which could 

 here be admitted between the caryatides; but instances 

 of trees, that have been preserved to a very great age, 

 within the interior of an edifice inclosed by walls, 

 may be adduced." 



The province of Suse, in Morocco, produces great 

 abundance of olive oil, which is stated to be equal in 

 quality to the best Florence oil, when it is expressed 

 from the fruit before it becomes quite ripe. Mr. 

 Jackson, in his ' Account of the Empire of Morocco,' 

 mentions a curious circumstance regarding an exten- 

 sive plantation of olive-trees in the neighbourhood of 

 Messa, which indicates the great facility with which 

 this tree may be propagated. Being struck with the 

 whimsical arrangement of this large plantation, he 

 inquired the cause of their being so arranged, which 

 was thus explained: " I learnt from the viceroy's 

 aide-de-camp, who attended me, that one of the kings 

 of the dynasty of Saddia, being on his journey to 

 Soudan, encamped here with his army; that the pegs 

 with which the cavalry picketed their horses were 

 cut from the olive trees in the neighbourhood; and 

 that these pegs being left in the ground on account of 

 some sudden cause of the departure of the army, the 

 olive trees in question sprung up from them. I con- 

 fess, while I acknowledged the ingenuity of the idea, 

 (for the disposition of the trees exactly resembled the 

 arrangement of cavalry in an encampment), I treated 

 it as fabulous: some time afterwards, however, the 

 following circumstance occurred, which induced me 

 to think the story was not only plausible, but very 

 credible. Having occasion to send for some plants 

 for a garden which I had at Agadeer, or Santa Cruz, 



