Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
March,  1920.) 
The  Manna  of  Scripture. 
177 
of  sand  stone  and  granite,  and  occupied  by  the  Amambwi  tribe,  that 
I  was  shown  a  very  curious  white  substance  very  similar  to  porridge. 
It  was  found  early  in  the  morning  before  the  sun  rose.  On  examina- 
tion it  was  found  to  possess  all  the  characteristics  of  the  manna 
which  is  said  to  have  fallen  for  the  benefit  of  the  Israelites.  In 
appearance  it  resembled  coriander  seed,  was  white  in  color,  like  hoar 
frost,  sweet  to  the  taste,  melted  in  the  sun,  and  if  kept  overnight  was 
full  of  worms  in  the  morning.  The  natives  were  not  allowed  to 
gather  it  without  asking  permission  from  the  chief.  It  required  to 
be  baked  if  you  intended  to  keep  it  any  length  of  time.  This  sub- 
stance was  seen  some  years  afterwards  in  the  same  district  by  several 
Europeans  now  living  (1910),  who  can  vouch  for  the  accuracy  of 
my  description  of  this  food.  When  asked  what  it  was  and  where 
it  came  from  the  natives  replied,  'It's  the  food  of  God.  No  one 
knows  where  it  comes  from.'  I  have  never  seen  or  heard  of  it  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world,  although  it  may  be  known  to  others. 
A  cake  of  it  was  baked  and  sent  to  England,  but  no  one  appeared 
able  to  determine  its  identity.  It  looked  as  if  it  was  deposited  on  the 
ground  in  the  night,  but  in  what  manner  I  was  never  able  to  as- 
certain. No  holes  could  be  found  in  the  ground  near  it  or  one 
might  have  concluded  that  insects  unearthed  it  during  the  night. 
The  only  suggestion  I  could  think  of  was  that  it  might  be  a  mush- 
room spawn,  as  on  the  spot  where  it  melted  tiny  fungi  sprung  up 
the  next  night." 
During  the  last  few  days  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  conversing 
with  a  medical  missionary.  Dr.  Wareham,  who  knows  the  district 
well  where  African  manna  was  found;  and  he  and  Mrs.  Wareham 
confirmed  the  statements  made  by  Mr.  Swann,  but  stated  that  they 
had  only  once  seen  the  manna  during  eighteen  years'  residence  in 
Africa.  He  has  promised  to  endeavor  to  get  some  of  the  living 
manna  preserved  in  spirit  or  formaldehyde  or  solution  of  corrosive 
sublimate,  and  to  get  some  of  the  soil  in  which  it  grows  sent  sep- 
arately in  a  small  box.  Mrs.  Wareham  suggested  that  possibly 
ants  might  have  something  to  do  with  its  appearance  in  such  pro- 
fusion. It  is  well  known  that  in  this  country  ants  cultivate  certain 
fungi  in  their  nests,  apparently  for  food  when  it  is  scarce  outside. 
The  miracle  respecting  manna  was  undoubtedly  its  phenomenal 
production  on  an  enormous  scale  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
the  Israelitish  camp.  In  this  respect  it  resembles  other  miracles 
related  in  vScripture,  such  as  the  multitude  of  fishes,  the  feeding  of 
