76 THE PALMS OF ASIA. 



margin were large groves of a beautiful tree of 

 great height, -which Avas altogether new and 

 strange to him. On awaking from his trance, 

 he thought comparatively little of the vision, 

 but renewed his oblations and prayers, and fell 

 a2:aiQ into the same state as before. The vision 

 was repeated, with the addition of the appear- 

 ance of the father of the god Buddhu, who 

 rebuked hini for his neglect of the former 

 vision, and instructed him to take one hundred 

 hours' journey to the south, at the termination 

 of which he should find the tree which he had 

 beheld, the fruit of Avhich, attained by the aid 

 of fire, should restore him to health. He was 

 obedient to this mandate, performed the journey, 

 found the trees, and viewed their lofty summits 

 with amazement. lie beheld the healing fruit 

 suspended on high, but how to obtain them was 

 the question. He bethought himself of the 

 injunction of fire, and by rubbing two pieces of 

 wood together obtained it, and by its aid so far 

 burned through the trunk as easily to fell it. 

 lie lived entirely upon the nuts, in accordance 

 with the injunctions he had received, and in 

 three months' time he was cured. So runs the 

 legend ; and if we divest it of the superstitious 

 and idolatrous details with which it is enveloped, 

 the main facts are probably true, 



