Appendix. 7 



The bottom, root, or woody part of this plant, was like- 

 wife of feveral ufes before it turned abfolutely hard ; it was 

 chewed in the manner of liquorice, having a confiderable 

 quantity of fweet juice in it. This we learn from Diofco- 

 rides ; it was, I fuppofe, chewed, and the fweernefs fucked 

 out in the fame manner as is done with fugar-cane. This is 

 ftill practifed in Abyllinia, where they like wife chew the 

 root of the Indian corn, and of every kind of cyperus ; and 

 Herodotus tells us, that about a cubit of the lower part of 

 the (talk was cut off and roafted over the fire, and eaten. 



From the fcarcity of wood, which was very great in Egypt 

 for the reafons l have already mentioned, this lower part 

 was likewife ufed in making cups, moulds, and other ne- 

 ceffary utenfils ; we need not doubt too, one ufe of the 

 woody part of this plant was to ferve for what we call 

 boards or covers for binding the leaves, which were made 

 of the bark ; we know that this was anciently one ufe of 

 it, both from Alcsus and Anacreon. 



. In a large and very perfect manufcript in my pofTefli on, 

 which was dug up at Thebes, the boards are of papyrus 

 root, covered firft with the coarfer pieces of the paper, and 

 then with leather, in the fame manner as it would be done 

 now. It is a book one would call a frnall folio, rather than 

 by any other name, and I apprehend that the (hape of the 

 book where papyrus is employed was always of the fame 

 form with thofe of the moderns. The letters are fcrong, 

 deep, black, and apparently written with a reed, as is practifed 

 by the Egyptians and Abyflinians (till. It is written on 

 both fides, fo never could be rolled up as parchment was, 

 nor would the brittlenefs of the materials when dry, fup- 

 1 port 



