The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-30

Botanists and travellers have been rather
unsuccessful in attempts to ascertain the
origin of different kinds of mama known
in commerce. In the Valley Of Gohr to
the South of the Dead Sea, sixteen hours
onword, which leads into long valley,
Burkdardt found what he called mamma,
dropping from twigs of several kinds of
trees
According to his representations, Arabs
collect it and make it into cakes, which are
eaten with their nauseous butter made
from the milk of sheep. They churn it
thus: A goat skin is filed with milk and
suspended between two poles, swung to
and fro by pulling an attached cord until
it assumes another character greasy.
soapy mass-and that is Arab butter.
Commercial mama, principally in the
hands of druggists, is q product of the
punotured stems of the Ornus Europe,
growing in Calabria. An article very
similar in appearance and medical pro-
perties is procured in Sicily by the same
process Both have sweetish taste, are
soft, of pale yellowish color. and used
for their mild, laxative quality rather than
food.
From the foregoing facts, it is very
clear there is not the slightest resemblance
to that extraordinarily nutritious article
which was miraculously provided for the
children of Israel in the barren wilderness,
on memorable occasion, while in their
! forty years peregrinations towards the
Promised Land.
In the 10Th chapter of Exodus it is re-
corded: "And when the dew that lay on
the ground was gone up, behold upon the
face of the wilderness there lay q small
round thing as small as the boar frost
upon the ground.
And Moses said this is the bread which
the Lord hath given ye to eat. This is
the thing which the Lord hath command
ed Gather it every man according to his
eating, an omar three quarts) for every
man, according to his eating. an omar for
every man according to the number
of young persons. take 70 every man for
them which are in his tent
And the children of Israel did 60 and
gathered some more and some less.
And when they did meet with an omar.
he that gathered little had no lack; they
gathered every man according to his eat
| ing.
"And Moses said, let no man leave of it
till morning Notwithstanding they
hearkened not unto Moses, but some OF
| them left of it till morning, and it bred
worms and stank, and Moses was wrath
| with them
And they gathered it every morning,
| every man according to his eating, and
when the sun waxed hot it melted.
And it came to pass that on the sixth
day they gathered twice as much bread
two omars for one man-and all the con-
gregation came and told Moses
and Moses said eat that to-day, for
to-day is the Sabbath unto the Lord To
| day We shall not find it in the field. Six
days We shall gather it, but on the seventh
day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall
be none.
"And the house of Israel called the
same mamma, and it was like coriander
seed, white, and the taste of it was like
waters made with honey"
1t is obvious, therefore, mama Of a
vegetable origin bears no resemblance to
that on which an immense multitude oil
human beings subsisted for considerable
tire, under circumstances which point 10
one of the most remarkable events in the
whole range of sacred history Science
stands still in contemplation of that
stupendOus miracle.