78 ASAFCETIDA. 
foreign countries being first ascertained to be sufficient 
for the trouble of collecting, the persons employed pro- 
ceed to the mountains in companies of four or five each. 
The juice is obtained by cutting the roots across, at 
the same time sheltering them by the leaves (which 
have been previous!}' twisted off) from the intense heat 
of the sun. Each party takes into its care about 2000 
plants. After the first incision has been made, the 
roots are suffered to remain untouched for about a 
month, when they are again visited, and the gum which 
has exuded is taken off. This operation is repeated 
three times, a few days betwixt each ; after which the 
plants are exhausted and left to die. At the respective 
gatherings each party generally brings away about 
fifty pounds' weight of asafcetida. It is stated that a 
single ship is exclusively devoted to transporting the 
bulk of this commodity to the ports in the Persian 
Gulf; and that, when smaller parcels are carried, it is 
usual to tie them to the top of the mast. 
In the year 1784, the asafcetida plant was intro- 
duced into the Botanic garden at Edinburgh, from 
seeds which had been sent by Dr. Guthrie of Peters- 
burgh to Dr. Hope. 
The ferula tribe consists of nine or ten known spe- 
cies of plants, and it is supposed that asafoetida is 
yielded by several of them. 
In some parts of the Levant the sailors are said to 
use the stalks of a species of ferula to transport fire 
from one island to another. This custom is of great 
antiquity, and explains a passage of Hesiod, who, 
speaking of the fire stolen from heaven by Prometheus, 
says that he carried it in a ferula. The foundation of 
this fable is undoubtedly owing to what Diodorus 
Siculus informs us of Prometheus, that he was the in- 
ventor of the steel with which fire is struck from flint ; 
and in all probability that prince made use of the pith 
of the ferula instead of tinder, to convey it from one 
place to another. 
