h THE EQUINOCTIAL ZONE. 



bourhood of Columbo. The quantity imported 

 in 1848 was 357,463 pounds. An inferior 

 kind of cinnamon, called cassia, or Cassia lignea, 

 is the bark of Cinnamomum aromaticum, and is 

 imported principally from Singapore. The 

 principal city of the province Kwangse, in 

 China, is named Kweihin, or Cassia Forest, 

 from the forests of cassia around it. 510,247 

 pounds were imported in 1848. So powerful 

 is the perfume of the cinnamon plants, that it 

 is wafted far out to sea. This is alluded to 

 by bishop Heber, in his beautiful hymn : 



" What though the spicy breezes 



Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle, 

 Where every prospect pleases, 



And only man is vile ; 

 In vain with lavish kindness 



The gifts of God are strewn, 

 The heathen in his blindness 



Bows down to wood and stone." 



Cinnamon was among the spices known to the 

 Jews, and was doubtless imported into Pales- 

 tine by the Arabians, who were the chief 

 merchants to India in ancient times, and were 

 the medium through which the spices, and 

 other productions of India, were carried into 

 western Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Cin- 

 namon was in use in very earjy times. It was 

 among the spices which were appointed for 

 perfuming " the holy anointing oil," with 

 which the tabernacle, the sacred vessels, and 

 the priests were to be anointed, (Exod. xxx. 

 23 31.) It is placed among other fragrant 

 plants in Solomon's Song iv. 14. Cassia is 

 also mentioned in the former passage, and 



