No. 11. — 1858-9.] SCRIPTURE BOTANY OF CEYLON. 



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family which, according to the testimony of Geologists, seems 

 to have been created about the same time with man. 



The Nuts above named, in connection with the Almond, 

 have, by various commentators, been translated "Pine-nuts," 

 "dates," or "walnuts," but other writers think that the 

 "Pistachio nuts," so much in request in the East, and 

 imported into India from Afghanistan, are meant. 



The word rendered Hazel in Gen. xxx. 37, should be 

 translated Almond. 



Pomegranate. 



(®q<d&S, delun Sinhalese ; Punica granatum. Linn.) 

 " Beneath upon the hem of it (the robe) thou shalt make 

 pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round 

 about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round 

 about, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell 

 and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe round about." 

 (Exod. xxxiii. 33, 34.) 



There is very frequent allusion to this tree or fruit in the 

 Bible, especially in the gorgeously poetical Song of Solomon, 

 where it is spoken of as follows — " Thy plants are an orchard 

 of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits, camphire and spike- 

 nard." (iv. 13.) " As a piece of a pomegranate are thy 

 temples within thy locks." (vi. 7.) "I went down into the 

 garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see 

 whether the vine nourished, and the pomegranates budded." 

 (vi. 11.) (and so in vii. 12.) " I would cause thee to drink 

 spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 1 ' (viii. 2.) It is 

 common and well-known here, though not indigenous. The 

 Sinhalese name of the plant is delun. 



In consequence of the very frequent mention of the pome- 

 granate fruit, in books of Eastern travel, I expected to find 

 a very different fruit from the almost tasteless, small, and 

 insipid fruit commonly seen in the bazaars here ; but I am 



