44 U II A M N U S. 
celled nucleus, first green, but when ripe tinged with saffron 
colour. 
Pliny describes two sorts of lotus; the one found at the 
Syrtis, and among the Nasomones, &c. which is this; the 
other in Egypt, which is Nympheca Lotus. The former, he 
says, from Cornelius Nepos, is the fruit of a tree, in size ordi¬ 
narily as big as a bean, of a yellow colour, sweet and pleasant 
to the taste. The fruit was bruised, made into a kind of 
paste, and then stored up for food. A sort of wine was also 
made from it, resembling mead; but it would not keep many 
days. Pliny adds, that armies in marching through that part 
of Africa, have subsisted on the Lotus. Perhaps this may 
refer to the army of Balbus, which Pliny informs us, had pe¬ 
netrated to Gadamis and Fezzan. 
Polybius, who had himself seen the Lotus, being employed 
by Scipio Africanus the younger, in exploring the coasts of 
Africa, says, that it is the fruit of a shrub, which is rough, 
andarmed with prickles, and in foliage resembles the Rhamnus; 
that when ripe it has the size of a round olive ; has a purple, 
tinge, and contains a hard stone; that being pounded it is 
laid by for use; and that its flavour approaches to that of 
figs or dates : finally, that a kind of wine is made of it by ex¬ 
pression, and diluted with water; that it affords a good be-, 
verage, but will not keep more than ten days. 
Of modern travellers, Dr. Shaw says the fruit is common 
in the deserts, and other parts of Barbary ; is still in great re¬ 
pute, and sold in the markets all over the southern districts 
Qf those kingdoms. Mons. Desfontaines relates, that it is 
spread over the southern parts of the kingdom of Tunis, on 
the borders of the' desert, and in the environs of the Lesser 
Syrtis; that the fruit is sold in the markets, their cattle fed 
with it, and a liquor drawn from it, as heretofore. 
Mons. Saugnier, who was. shipwrecked on the coast of 
Africa, in 1784, and was carried captive, along the western 
border of the Sahara to Morocco, says, that between the 
Capes Bojador and Nun, the people with him, eat of nothing 
during the day-time, that is, on the way, but a small wild 
fruit, resembling the jujube, which is to be found every¬ 
where. This was about the middle or end of March. 
Brisson, who was in like manner carried across the Desert, 
during the latter part of the summer and in autumn, only 
remarks abundance of prickly shrubs; probably the same, 
after the season of fruit. Mr. Park mentions February and 
March as the season, on the south of the Desert; Mqns. 
Desfontaines, says August and September, to the north of 
the Desert; and Mr. Browne, that the fruit remains dry on 
the tree, great part of the winter months. 
Mr. Park describes the fruit, as small farinaceous-berries, 
of a yellow colour, and delicious taste. The natives, he says, 
convert them into a sort of bread, by exposing them some 
days to the sun, and afterwards pounding them gently in a 
wooden' mortar, until the farinaceous part is separated from 
the stone. This meal is then mixed with a little water, and 
formed into cakes, which, when dried in the sun, resemble in 
colour and flavour the sweetest gingerbread. The stones are 
afterwards put into a vessel of water, and shaken about, so as 
to separate the meal which may still adhere to them: this 
communicates a sweet and agreeable taste to the water, and 
with the addition of a little pounded millet, forms a pleasant 
gruel, called fondi which is the common breakfast in many 
parts of Ludamar, during the months of February and 
March. The fruit is collected by spreading a cloth upon the 
ground, and beating the branches with a stick. 
Mr. Park says, that the Lotus is very common in all the 
kingdoms which lie visited ; but is found in the greatest 
plenty on the sandy soil of Kaarta, Ludamar, and the north¬ 
ern parts of Bambarra, where it is one of the most common 
shrubs of the country. He had observed the same species at 
Gambia, and had an opportunity to make a drawing of a 
branch in flower. The leaves of the desert shrub are, how¬ 
ever, much smaller, resembling in that particular those repre¬ 
sented in the engraving given by Mons. Desfontaines. 
Mr. Browne informs us, that the Arabic name of the Lotus 
is Nebbek, and that there are two species of it in Dar.-foor; 
the largest of which is termed Nebbek-el-arab, There is. a 
difference in their fruit, as well as in their external appear* 
ance. The one is a bush, with leaves of dark green, noft 
very different from those of the ivy, but much thinner,- If 
appeared to be the same with that which he had seen in the 
gardens of Alexandria. The other a tree, growing to consi¬ 
derable size, but having both the leaves and fruit smaller 
and the fruit ■ of darker colour, and somewhat different 
flavour. Both of them equally thorny. The natives eat the 
fruit fresh or dry; for it dries on the tree, and so remains 
great-part of the winter months. In that state it is formed 
into a paste of not unpleasant flavour, and is a portable pro¬ 
vision on journeys. 
Thus by comparing the information to be derived -from 
ancients and moderns, collected with so much diligence, and 
digested with so much accuracy by Major Rennell, we are 
no longer left to wander in the wilds of conjecture, but are 
enabled to ascertain without ambiguity that Lotus, the history 
of which Homer and other ancients mixed with fable ; Hero¬ 
dotus mentioned, without having seen, and Polybius de¬ 
scribed so well from his own knowledge. 
The Lotop/iogi, as the Greeks called them, possessed a 
considerable part of the sea coast between the two Syrtis, 
the island of Meninx (now Jerba), and the coast beyond it, 
as far as the lake and river of Tritonis, to the Machlies. 
Scylax extends the name to the tribes generally, between the 
two Syrtis. Ptolemy limits them to the neighbourhood of 
the river Cinyps alone; whilst Herodotus appears to confine 
them to the west of that river. Strabo places them in the 
island of Meninx alone: although he calls the adjoining 
Syrtis, that of the Lotophagi. Pliny assigns them, in ad¬ 
dition to the island, the environs of the Syrtis also. 
But the allotment of this confined space, alone, to the 
eaters of Lotus, was owing to a want of a more extended 
knowledge of the countries that border on the Desert; for 
it appears, that the tribes who inhabit them, and whose 
habits are in any degree known to us, eat universally of this 
fruit, in a greater.or less degree, according to circumstances ; 
and most of them, apparently, as much as they can obtain 
of it. ■ ■ , 
35. Rhamnus Napeca.—This is a tree with subvillose 
branches. Leaves alternate, narrower towards the base on 
the hinder side, bluntish, smooth, three-nerved, petioled, 
yellowish. Corymbs solitary, shorter than the leaf, lateral, 
next the petiole. Prickles opposite to the peduncle, very 
short, black, recurved, very sharp, having frequently two 
points, one below the other. 
36. Rhamnus jujuba, or blunt-leaved buckthorn.—This 
is a tree with round branches. Leaves very finely serrate, 
three-nerved, at the base on one side narrower, retuse, 
and deeply crenate, petioled. Flowers very many, 
axillary, each on very short pedicels, five-cleft, five-sta¬ 
mens ; style bifid. Close to the petioles is a very small 
recurved prickle; but sometimes this is wanting.—Native 
of the East Indies. Cultivated in Cl-ina and Cochin- 
china. 
37. Rhamnus Xylopyrus, or sharp-leaved buckthorn.— 
This is a tree scarcely higher than a man. Branches from a 
pellicle of whitish cotton, armed very thinly with small so¬ 
litary recurved prickles under the petiole. Leaves broad- 
ovate, often approaching to cordate, not seldom oblique, un¬ 
equally serrate, dusky above, but underneath covered with a 
very fine white nap. Corymbus peduncled. Calyxes 
tomentose. Fruit a dry drupe, larger than a cherry, 
insipid, sub-astringent, with an unequal nut or stone.— 
Native of the East Indies, in deserts at the foot of the 
mountains. . 
38. Fthamnus oenoplia, or pointed-leaved buckthorn. 
—Native of the island of Ceylon. 
39. Rhamnus Capensis, or Cape buckthorn.—Native of 
the Cape of Good Hope. 
40. Rhamnus circumcissus.—Branches simple, opposite, 
spreading very much, angular, even. Prickles solitary, fixed, 
horizontal, recurved, solid. Leaves by the side of the 
prickles, even, obsoletely toothed, on petioles the length of 
the prickles, . . ... . > 
41. Rhamnus 
