^ Introduction $£ 



was the sweet-scented blue lotus — Nymphaea coerulea. 

 Few plants have indeed been held in such veneration, for 

 to the Buddhists also the lotus was a sacred flower, sym- 

 bolizing the purity of the spiritual life of man, for as the 

 flowers have their roots in earth and water but float above 

 in the sunlight, so the soul of man rises above the earth- 

 life. 



How great was the skill of the perfumers of ancient 

 Egypt ! In the tomb of the High Priest Ra Ouer 

 (3000 b.c), recently discovered near the Sphinx, were 

 found, amongst other treasures of inestimable value (in- 

 cluding a necklace of 4000 rubies and a large gold vase 

 containing golden flowers), some unknown substance so 

 sweetly scented after the lapse of 4700 years that, to quote 

 the description in the report, ' one was surprised by the 

 delicious scent of flowers, as if sweet-smelling bouquets 

 had only recently been placed there. One would say 

 that the alabaster itself had been impregnated with some 

 unknown substance capable of preserving the perfume for 

 centuries.' It is difficult for our modern and Western 

 minds to grasp the importance of perfume in the religious 

 rites of the most ancient civilizations. In a recent article 1 

 in The Times, the writer, after referring to the belief that 

 in 7000 or 6000 b.c. the vast areas in Arabia and Africa 

 now desert were productive and well populated, and that 

 from their inhabitants came a culture which had elements 

 in common with the prehistoric European culture known 

 as Tardenoisian, pointed out that in the dawn of history 

 in the Sudan (not later than 3000 b.c) the most valued 

 article of commerce, apart from gold, was incense or 



1 ' A Relic of the Ancient World. The Incense Trade.' The limes, 

 5th July, 1930. 



