2 66 
PLAN T S. 
Sycamore. 2. What follows is worth attention, and 
may ferve to excite our admiration. A little below 
the feales on the fide of the flower cup, there ap- 
pears a fpot before the fruit is ripe ; the fruit is af- 
fected with a gangrsene in this place, which extends 
itfelf further, and frequently occupies the. fpace of 
a fingers breadth; it withers, the place aflefted be- 
comes black, the flefhy fubftance in the middle of 
the calyx, for the breadth of a quill, is corroded, 
and the male bloflbms, which are neareft to the 
bare fide, appear naked, opening a way for the in- 
fed, which makes feveral furrows in the infide of 
the fruit, but never touches the ftigmata, tho’ k 
frequently eats the germina. The wounded of 
gangramous place is at firft covered or fliut up with 
the bloflbms, but the hole is by degrees opened and 
enlarged, of various fixes, in the different fruits- 
the margin and fides being always gangreenous- 
black, hard, and turned inwardly. The fame ga* 1 ' 
graenous appearance is aifo found near the fquarr.u - 
after the infect has made a hole in that place. 
Of this tree the ancient Egyptians made coffins- 
wherein to lay their embalmed dead. The wood 1 
very proper for this ufe, as it does not rot for l e 
veral ages, and not until it is very old. The 
mies which I faw in Egypt, were all preferved 11 
coffins made of this wood, which, as well as th e 
corpTe, had kept found for 2000 years. This laffl ' 
and branchy tree, by fpreading out its boughs, a 
fords excellent flntde, being of great ufe to pe°P ^ 
living in a fcorching climate, and travelling throftftj 
defarts, as they may frequently reft their weat* ^ 
limbs and drooping bodies, under the iliade 0 
Sycamore. The fruit taftes pretty well ; " . ^ 
quite ripe it is loft, watery, fomewhat fweet, " j 
a very little portion of an aromatic tafte. cC 
