THE SUB-TROPICAL ZONE. 101 



Song i. 14, "A cluster of camphire in the vine- 

 yards of En-gedi," which corresponds to the 

 beautiful long clusters of flowers of the henna, 

 but by no means to what we caU camphor. It. 

 is also alluded to again, in V;i* L-arie bcol:, 

 chap. iv. 13, 14, " Pomegranates, with pleasant, 

 fruits; camphire, with . p.p)kHiai\y .spikcuaivl 

 and saffron'; calamus and cinnamon, with! all 

 trees of frankincense ; myrrh and aloes, with 

 all the chief spices ;" and these are all still 

 highly esteemed in the east. 



Its blossoms form the favourite bouquet of 

 the Grecian females, who delight peculiarly in 

 flowers, and wear them in profusion about their 

 persons. The oriental ladies also deck their 

 sofas and adorn their houses with the rich 

 blossoms of the henna ; and the Egyptian 

 females carry them in their hands and place 

 them in their bosoms, as well as keep them in 

 their apartments. The aged Mohammedan 

 frequently perfumes his beard, by holding his 

 face over the vapour arising from. a preparation 

 of these sweet flowers. This reminds us of the 

 perfume which, poured upon Aaron's beard, 

 was, in its sweetness, compared by the psalmist 

 to the delights of fraternal affection. In Egypt, 

 the henna flowers are carried about the streets 

 for sale, and the seller, as he walks, cries, " Oh, 

 the odours of paradise : oh, flowers of the 

 henna." The rose, which is esteemed the 

 queen of flowers, is even considered by the 

 orientals inferior to the henna. The dried 

 leaves of the plant are used bv eastern females 

 9* 



