218 PYRAMIDS OF SACCARA. 
CHAP, smaller vessel, were now building^. Near this 
. village grew a great quantity of Ixdigoff.ra, 
indigofcra. ^vhich the Jmhs call Nile. Under a similar 
appellation it was mentioned, at the close of the 
sixteenth century, as an object of inquiry, by 
Richard Hahluyt^', for at that time it was not 
known in England what plant produced the 
Indigo^. Instructions were therefore given, 
*' to know if Anile, that coloureth blew, be a 
natural commodity; and, if it be compounded 
of an herbe, to send the seed or root, with the 
order of sowing/' It is remarkable that Nil, or 
Anil, is the American name of the Indigo plant- 
The Portuguese have adopted their Anil, or 
Anileira, from the American. In Chinese it is 
called Tien Laam, which signifies sky blue. The 
Arabs, in Egypt, sow the seed of this plant only 
once in seven years ; and they obtain t^vo crops 
from it in each year. They cut it green, when 
about two feet in height: (they were cutting 
some at this time :) it is then put into boiling 
water, and left in jars for several days: after 
this it acquires the blue colour. The French 
had taught them to boil the plant, and use the 
scum for a dye. 
(1) A. D. 1582. 
(2) See Martyn's edition of -Vi/fev's Dictionary. Art. Indigo/era. 
