It is a
low bush-like tree, that to this day grows in wonderful
plenty upon the sides of the mountains, or rather upon the
slopes leading up to the rocky walls. The leaves are long
and narrow, a vivid green in colour, but turning a bright
red in the autumn, and not unlike those of a laurel in
general appearance. They have little smell when green, but
if boiled the aromatic odour from them is so strong that one
can hardly bear it. The best mixture, however, was made from
the roots, and among the people of Kor there was a law,
which Ayesha showed me alluded to on some of the
inscriptions, to the effect that on pain of heavy penalties
no one under a certain rank was to be embalmed with the
drugs prepared from the roots. The object and effect of this
was, of course, to preserve the trees from extermination.
The sale of the leaves and roots was a Government monopoly,
and from it the Kings of Kor derived a large proportion of
their private revenue.
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