284? FLORA DOMESTICA. 



from a bud, a number of small pinnated leaves, resembling 

 the acacia. The flower is yellow, and consists of a great 

 number of small leaves placed in a globular form ; the 

 shape of the tree is very elegant."" 



Elephants are often traced by means of these bushes, of 

 which they eat both the leaves and roots ; they tear them 

 up, and place them on their crowns, and leave the bare 

 shrubs in that position. The thorns are sometimes very 

 troublesome to travellers, where they grow pretty closely 

 together. There is a thorny shrub often found growing 

 among the Thornbushes of the Cape, which catches the 

 stockings, or some other part of the dress, and is not disen- 

 tangled without some patience. The natives call it wach 

 en beetgen. Stop a little. Some of the thorns, lying very 

 low, tear away the shoe-strings ; others, less innocent in 

 their mischief, tear away the skin*. 



A species of the Mimosa, called the Egyptian Mimosa, 

 or Egyptian Acacia, produces the gum-arabic. It is a 

 native of Egypt and Arabia, and, in its own countries, 

 grows to a considerable size. This tree was called by 

 Theophrastus an Acanthus ; and is spoken of by Virgil 

 under the same name, in the second Georgic : 



' ' Quid tibi odorato referam sudantia ligno 

 Balsamaque, et baccas semper frondentis acanthi ?" 



GEORGIC. 2. 



ff Why should I mention the balsam which sweats out of the fra- 

 grant wood, and the berries of the ever-green acanthus ?" 



MARTYN'S TRANSLATION. 



In this passage he is supposed to refer to the Egyptian 

 Mimosa. 



In the fourth Eclogue, where, anticipating a golden age, 

 he speaks of the Acanthus as one of the plants which the 

 earth is to bear without trouble : 



* See Latrobe's Africa, pages 173, 306, 147, 275, 337. 



