CALIFORNIA LAUREL OR BAY TREE. 139 



crown thick with accumulated leaves, because adherent for 

 several years, and so set very far back on the twigs; but this 

 formal strictness is adequately complemented and duly 

 graced in the outer pendant boughs. Are you alone or witn 

 a congenial companion, you may hourly watch the wind 

 waves gently rolling over its yielding foliage, shimmering 

 the lights and softening the shadows, until you heartily 

 realize, in the words of the poet, 



" The glory that the wood receives 

 At sunset, in its brazen leaves." 



Though magic wands were formerly made from branches 

 of these trees, there is some reason still for believing that 

 there are more magic spells now in watching them wave so 

 gracefully to and fro from the boughs; nor must we forget 

 their invisible influences altogether, such as sanitary, brain, 

 and nerve support, magical, poetical, and musical— the noble 

 inspiriting base of wisdom and valor, with all its literary 

 traditions, including the wreaths of the immortal Nine, 

 with which they decked the brows of their favorites. In 

 more recent times, the students who had taken their degrees 

 at the universities are called Bachelors — from the French 

 "bachelier" derived from the Latin bacca laureus, a laurel 

 berry. As these students were not allowed to marry — 

 lest the duties of husband and father interfere with their 

 literary pursuits— hence, in time, all single men were called 

 bachelors. "Speaking of rats," reminds us that the ger- 

 minal end of the oblong nut of the fruit has, "for all the 

 world," the perfect profile and markings of a rat's nose and 

 mouth, and truly the old wood-rat himself is exceedingly 

 fond of them. 



Among the many uses already noted, the leaves of these 

 salubrious bachelor trees have been used for making bay- 

 water. In early mining annals, also, condiments — when the 

 usual were not, or scarce and high — then, withal, he flavored 

 his meat and spiced his food ; indeed, this tree is allied to the 

 cinnamon, camphor, and other spice trees of commerce. The 

 wood is remarkably hard and takes the finest polish ; has 

 eminent qualities that commend it where great toughness 

 and elasticity are the requisites, c. g. no powder-mill timber, 

 save this, ever comes out of those wonted tremendous explo- 

 sions safe and sound ; in short, it is quite unparaleled on this 

 coast. No native wood has been more highly esteemed for 

 cabinet work, and for the finest ship and other joinery and 

 general ornamental purposes; for, in brief, it is preferred, 

 from first to last, like its congeners of old, whether it be scep- 

 ter for king, mace forjudge, the shepherd's crook, or the old 

 man's staff. That it has been carelessly cut and hastily 



