236 CEDAR TREE. 
has increased in thickness about five lines and a half 
every year. 
Notwithstanding what has been said respecting 
the durability of cedar-wood, we have reason to be- 
lieve that it is not of a lasting nature ; and, from 
what we can collect, it has probably been mistaken 
for a species of cypress ; a plant belonging to an- 
other genus. If it ever possessed the properties re- 
corded by our ancestors, it must have changed its 
nature ; for at present the true cedar is considered 
as a perishable wood, of an inferior quality to good 
deal. 
A resinous juice runs naturally from the cedar, 
which hardens into a transparent inflammable sub- 
stance, of a yellowish colour. This resin is used by 
the Egyptians among the ingredients employed in 
embalming, and likewise to mix with other per- 
fumes. 
