Part 15 (2/2)

_Volatile_, easily escaping, quickly flying off

Whence is the word Oil derived?

From the Latin _oleum_, formed from _olea, olive-tree_, the fruit of which abounds in oil

What immense fish is it that furnishes us with a quantity of _aniest and noblest inhabitant of the waters It is protected fro of blubber, that is, a thick oily fat froht for the sake of that Ahly prized in perfumery, is a product of the sperm whale

In what seas are they found?

Chiefly in the Northern Seas: extensive whale fisheries are carried on by the Alish, Dutch, &c, and nu the fish: they usually sail in the latter end of March, and begin fishi+ng about May The whale fishery continues generally from that time till the latter end of June or July There are also other fishes and animals which afford us oils of different kinds, which are used for various purposes in medicine and the arts

Is the oil called _castor_, which is so much used in medicine, the product of an animal or a plant?

Castor oil is expressed from a West Indian shrub, called Palma Christi; and especially from the ripe seeds, which are full of this oil It is prepared by collecting these ripe seeds, and freeing the them into a paste; they are next boiled in water, when the oil rising to the surface is skimmed off as it continues to appear The Castor-oil plant is found growing abundantly in Sumatra, particularly near the sea-shore

Where is Suo, off the south eastern part of the continent of Asia

In what other countries is this plant found?

In soypt It was anciently cultivated in the two last- used for the oil they yielded, which was burnt in lamps

[Illustration: BEAVERS BUILDING THEIR HUTS]

Is not the Palma Christi much affected by soil and situation?

Greatly so In some places it attains the stature of a tree, and is not a biennial plant, but endures for many years, as in the warm plains of Irak, Arabia, and so for the space of two years only

What are Melons?

A species of the Cucus There are great varieties of this fruit cultivated in different parts of the world; that sort called the Cantaleup (so nahborhood of Roht from Armenia,) is a species of musk-melon; the mature fruit is juicy, and delicately flavored

Where is Armenia situated?