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seen, and Ulysses's altar, as well as abundance 

 of lote-trees, the fruit of which is exceedingly 

 sweet. 



Pliny has furnished us with an account 

 of the lotus-tree, in his 13th book, c. 17- 

 According to this author, the finest trees 

 of this kind grew on two large sand banks 

 on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, not 

 far from Leptis and Carthage. He mentions 

 them as being the size of pear-trees, but 

 states that Nepos Cornelius described them 

 as shrubs. The leaves, says Pliny, are thick, 

 cut, and indented: otherwise they are like 

 those of the ilex or holm-tree. There are 

 many varieties of this fruit, but he describes 

 the generality of them as being the size of 

 a bean, and of the colour of saffron, yet, 

 says he, before it is quite ripe the fruit 

 changes into a variety of colours like grapes. 

 It grows thick among the branches of the 

 tree, in the manner of myrtle-berries, and not, 

 says he, like cherries. This fruit in Africa, 

 continues Pliny, is so sweet and pleasant, that 

 it has given the name both to a nation and 

 country, as the people are called Lotophagi ; 

 and so welcome are all strangers there, and 

 so well contented with their entertainment, 

 that they forget their own native soil, for the 

 love they have for this fruit, when once they 



