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France’s cabinet at Paris. This piece which I fend 
you, had loft near fix dragmes Troy of its weight, be- 
tween the ^ 7th of Auguft, 1771, and the 29th of June, 
1773. It has loft a very few grains fince. It was kept, 
as were all the other pieces, with great care in cotton, 
feparately in a box, to prevent its lofing weight by 
fridlion. 
OPOCALPASUM. 
At the time when I was on the borders of the Tal- 
Tal, or Troglodyte country, I fought to procure myfelf 
branches and bark of the myrrh tree, enough preferved 
to be able to draw it ; but the length and ruggednefs of 
the way, the heat of the weather, and the carelefsnefs 
and want of refources of naked favages, always difap- 
pointed me. In thofe goat-ikin bags into which J had 
often ordered them to put fmall branches,! always found 
the leaves moftly in powder; fome few that were intire, 
feemed to refemble much the acacia vera, but were wi- 
der towards the extremity, and more pointed immedi- 
ately at the end. In what order the leaves grew, I never 
could determine. The bark was abfolutely like that of 
the acacia vera ; and among the leaves I often met with 
a fmall ftraight weak thorn, about two inches long. 
Thefe were all the circumftances I could .combine, rela- 
tive to the myrrh tree, too vague and uncertain to riik a 
drawing upon, when there ftill remained fo many defi- 
dcrata concerning it ; and as the king was obftinate not 
to let me go thither, after what had happened to the fur- 
4 geon. 
