EXQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. viii. 3-ix. 2 



is said, a lofty })romontory, but very thickly wooded, 

 producing oak, bay in abundance, and invrtle. There, 

 according to the natives, dwelt Circe, and they shew 

 Elpenor's tonib,^ on which grow myrtles like those 

 used for garlands, though other kinds of myrtle are 

 large trees. Further it is said that the district is a 

 recent addition '^ to the land, and that once this piece 

 of land was an island, but now the sea has been 

 silted up by certain streams and it has become 

 united to the coast, and the size of the 'island'^ 

 is about eighty furlongs in circumference. There 



is ^ then much difference in trees, as has been said 

 re])eatedly, which is due to the individual character 

 of particular districts. 



Of the uses of various icoods in mahimj fire : charcoal, fuel, 

 fire-sticks. 



IX. Next we must state in like manner and 

 endeavour to determine the properties of each kind 

 of timber in relation to making fire. The best 

 charcoal is made from the closest wood, such as 

 aria (holm-oak) oak arbutus ; for these are the most 

 solid, so that they last longest and are the strongest ; 

 wherefore these are used in silver-mines for the first 

 smelting of the ore. Worst of the woods mentioned 

 is oak, since it contains most mineral matter,^ and 

 the wood of older trees is inferior to that of the 

 younger, and for the same reason that of really old 

 trees '^ is specially bad. For it is very dry, wherefore 

 it sputters as it burns ; whereas wood for charcoal 

 should contain sap. 



The best charcoal comes from trees in their prime. 



cf. Plin. 3. 57. * €x«i conj. Sch.; fhat Aid. 

 i.e. and so makes much ush. ^ cf. 2. 7. 2. 



467 



