LOTUS OF THE ANCIENTS. 15 



bread ; and Sloane records, in his " History of Ja- 

 maica," that the Egyptians ate the juicy stalks in 

 the heats, and made use of the leaves and flowers 

 " for hot pains, as, likewise, the oils, which are used 

 in want of sleep." But N. esculenta seems to be 

 esteemed above all others for food by the natives of 

 the East the tuberous root, or rhizome, being the 

 portion used. The .Nymphseas are also applied to 

 other purposes; and the author we have just quoted 

 also tells us, that in Florida, on one occasion, the In- 

 dians being surrounded in a lake by the Christians, 

 they, the former, endeavoured their escape in the 

 night with Water-Lily leaves on their heads. The 

 N. Lotus which is used for food in the form of bread, 

 the roots being also eaten is a famous plant in an- 

 cient history, and known under the name of Lotus. It 

 is still held sacred in the East; and it is related 

 that a native of Nepaul, upon entering Sir William 

 Jones's study, made prostrations before flowers of 

 this plant, which happened to lie there for examina- 

 tion. The celebrated Lotus meets not with the same 

 respect in Hungary, for there the roots are given to 

 hogs. It is stated, that in some districts of that 

 country this Water-Lily may be seen on every 

 stream; and it has been observed to flourish in the 

 hot springs, at a heat equal to 95 deg. of Fahrenheit. 

 But the Nymphsea Lotus is not the only plant to 

 which the name of Lotus has been applied; on the 

 contrary, it is now pretty generally believed that 



