APPENDIX. f 



which T have is eleven inches and a half long, and feven 

 inches broad, and there is not one leaf in it that has a rib- 

 band of papyrus of two inches and a half broad, from 

 which I imagine the fize of this plant, formerly being 

 fifteen feet long, was pretty near the truth. No fuch planr, 

 however, appears now; I do not remember to have ever feen 

 one more than ten feet high; This is probably owing to- 

 their being allowed to grow wild, and too thick together, 

 without being weeded ; we know from Herodotus *, that 

 the Egyptians cut theirs* down yearly as they did their hair- 

 veft. 



These ribbands, or ftripes of papyrus, have twelve dif- 

 ferent names in Pliny j-, which is to be copious with a ven- 

 geance. They are, philura, ramentum,-feheda, cutis, plagu- 

 la, corium, taenia, fubtegmen, flatumen; pagina,. tabula, and 

 papyrus. After thefe, by whatever name you call them, 

 were arranged at right angles to each other, a weight was 

 placed upon them while moilt, which comprefled them,, 

 and fo they were fuffered to dry in- the. fun,. 



It was fuppofed that the water of-the Nile f had a gum- 

 my quality neceflary to glue thefe itripes together. This 

 we may be amired-is without- foundation,. no fuch quality- 

 being found in the water of the Nile. On the contrary, I 

 found it of all others the moll improper, till it had fettled,, 

 and was abfolutely diveft^d of all the earth gathered in its 

 turbid ffate. Imade feveral pieces of this paper, both in> 



Abymnia 



♦-Heiodot. Jib..xi, f Elin,Nat. Hift, lib. xiii. cap. 13. || Plin, lib, xii?, cap. m 



