The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-07-28

A Remarkable Flower from Egypt.
At meeting of the New Jersey Natura
History Society on Monday evening, D.
Isaiah Deck, Of New York, exhibited ,
strange plant obtained by him from the East
1t was first shown in a dry state, and thei
placing it in water, it gradually expanded
into flower, astonishing those who wit
messed it. DR.. d. read the following paper
on the subject
The interesting subject of this notice came
into my possession eight years ago, while
on professional engagement in exploring
for some lost Emerald and Copper Mines in
Upper Egypt 1t was given me with much
ceremony by an Arab attached to the tray
cling party accompanied, in token Of some
medical service ! had rendered him, and
solemnly enjoined never to permanently
part with it, that it never would exhibit
signs Of decay ifproperly cared for; that its
Possession through life would tend To revive
hope in adversely, aud " buried with the
posscssor would ensure for him hereafter all
the enjoyments Of the seventh heaven OF
Mahomet. The frs! part Of his theory, | am
disposed from numerous trials and proof posi-
tive, touttery discard; and the second, am
unbelicver enough to resign all claim To, as
| have already made future disposition
Of it.
1t was asserted at the time by him and his
race, that about ten years previously it had
been taken from the breast Of an Egyptian
mummy, a female high priestess, and was
estimated as great rarity, as very few had
been procured during the last century
" hile doubling It's assigned place Of discoy-
cry, for reasons which | will hereafter ad-
vert TO, ! must acknowledge the untiring
interest 1t has ever excited amongst all par.
ties to whom have shown it in different
parts of the world. During u period Of
eight years, it has accompanied me in all
my waudcriugs, and may state has been
displayed TO the curious som. six or eight
hundred times without any diminutjon ofts
extraordinary propcnstIes, or injury to It's
iFagiity when properly cared for. It has
been examined by fcS most eminent phil.
osophers and travecrS Of this country and
Europe, and as yet 10 positive position has
been assigned to it in the botanical king
dom
Many who have seen il have heard ofsuch
wonder being in existence somewhere IN
the East, but have regarded it as pretty
Oriental fable. For those who may not have
the opportunity Of witnessing its peculiar
organization, will describe it a. nearly a, |
can, and leave scientific brothers and bo-
tauists the opportunity Of receiving or re-.
Jec;ing the theory Of its action, and Of civ.
Ing il name and position.
may compare i, in its uncxpandcd state
both in color, shape and Size to the top ofa
dried poppy head, with a stem attached 10
It's back IN the Ccntrc--whcn ii Is immersed
IN glass OF water for minute or two, the
upper parts or libies Of the head gradually
swell and expand, and throwing themselves
back in equIdstant order, assume the ap-
pcaranCc Of beautifully radiatcd starry
Hover, somewhat resembling the passion or
sun Hover in this state it remains for hour.
sometimes, according to the degree Of mos.
tuGe retained, until after evaporation the
tbrcs contract as gradually as they expand
ed, and 1t re-assumcs its original appear.
ance ready for similar experiments to be re-.
pcatCd al libinm
It's origin It's location, and the plant bear.
Ing it, are entirely involved in mystery
The pretty Oriental tale Of its being found in
tie mummy OF female priestcss ! reject ~,
ntenablC--irst, because have undone scv.
eraI myself and have had opportunities Of
being present at unroing Of others Of all
classes, and never discovered another. or
heard Of any one who had and secondly,
that in the examination Of hicrogyphcs Of
every age and variety, | never discovered
anything that bore the rcmotest resemblance
to It, and those who are Couversant with
the wonderful features OF the Egyptian re-
Ig'on and prle,tcrait, Will observe how ca.
gerry they seized upon and Gclicd any thing
symDoIical Of their mysterious tcncts, and
transmitted them to post,rity figured aS
hieroglyphic,; and i, is but natural TO pre-
sumo that this homcly looking flower, with
its halo, so typical Of glory and resurrection,
would have ranked high in their mythology,
fit and the knowledge Of its properties had
been known TO them. Moreover, an exam
ination of the elaborate works of JoScphus
llerodo;us King, and Diodorus Siculus, so
fluent, in their description of Egyptian Ny
thology, has failed to elicit any description
or notice Of it whatever.
am disposed to assign il place Of much
later date than the Egyptian Dynasty, and
look upon it as Il native of the Holy Land
and as a type or variety OF the long lost rose
of Jericho, called also Rose of sharon and
"Star of Bethlehem" and highly vcneratcd
for its rarity and peculiar properties, by the
Pilgrims and Crusaders, and eagerly sought
after by them as priceless emblem Of their
zeal and pilgrimage, and worn in the cs-
cutcheonS, as a heraldice device Of knights,
in manner similar to the scollop. shell and
palm branch. In this belief ! am rather
strengthened by seeing resemblance of
the flower both opened and closed, sculp.
tnrcd on tombs of two Of the Crusaders bu.
ricd in the Temple Church of London. and
also at the CathedralS of Bayeux and Roucn,
in Normandy, where some of the most Illus.
trious of the Crusaders are buried and fur.
t(tef- observations, by n member of my fami.
ly, my brother, engaged in antiquarian re.
searches in the island OF Malta, have shown
several instances in which it was sculptured
on the Knights tombs, and always occupy
ing the greatest place of honor on the shield,
that portion which is termed the dexter
chief. But whether this hypothesis be cor
rect or not, it is certain there was such n
flower, but that all traces or types of it have
been lost for centuries. and except for the
above facts it would have been looked on as
enigmatical.
The same member of my family, in dc.
scrbing some Monkish manuscripts, has re.
corded notice of such "a wonder obtained
from Jerusalem by the holy men, and called
by them the "Star of Bethlehem as if ex-
posed to the moon on the eve of the Epiph.
any, it would become wondrous fair to view,
and like nnto the star Of the Saviour, and
with the first glory Of the sun it would re.
turn to its lowliness;" ! quote from the
manuscript. The scientific cause of this is
readily explained, as during moonlight
there is more copious deposit Of dew than
any other period, and few hours of expos
ure would have all the effect of immersion.
Its botanical position is rather hard to as.
sign, as it presents some pecuiaritics of the
highest and lowest classes. Its features in.
dica,e its belonging to the order crucifcra,
Or radiata, it partakes rather of the lycopo.
dium order, one member of which, the scaly
club moss, after being dried and laid in
soupc plate water, will after few hours,