▁stand ▁in ▁a ▁valley , ▁and ▁not ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁mountain , ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁supposed ▁to ▁amount ▁to ▁ 2 8 ▁in ▁number , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁count ▁them , ▁they ▁being ▁distant ▁from ▁each ▁other ▁a ▁few ▁p aces . ▁These ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Dam asc us ▁has ▁endeav oured ▁to ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁same ▁that ▁Sol omon ▁plant ed ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁hands ▁in ▁the ▁qu inc un x ▁manner ▁as ▁they ▁now ▁stand . ▁No ▁other ▁tree ▁grows ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁are ▁situated ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁so ▁covered ▁with ▁snow ▁as ▁to ▁be ▁only ▁accessible ▁in ▁summer ". ▁ ▁Leon hard ▁R au w olf ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 3 - 7 5 , ▁counting ▁ 2 4 ▁trees : ▁ ▁“ s aw ▁nothing ▁higher , ▁but ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁hill ▁before ▁us , ▁all ▁covered ▁with ▁snow , ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁where of ▁the ▁high ▁ced ar ▁trees ▁were ▁standing … ▁And , ▁although ▁this ▁hill ▁hath , ▁in ▁former ▁ages , ▁been ▁quite ▁covered ▁with ▁ced ars , ▁yet ▁they ▁are ▁since ▁so ▁decre ased , ▁that ▁I ▁could ▁tell ▁no ▁more ▁but ▁twenty - four ▁that ▁stood ▁round ▁about ▁in ▁a ▁circle ▁and ▁two ▁others , ▁the ▁branches ▁where of ▁are ▁quite ▁decay ed ▁for ▁age . ▁I ▁also ▁went ▁about ▁this ▁place ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁young ▁ones , ▁but ▁could ▁find ▁none ▁at ▁all ". ▁▁▁ ▁Jean ▁de ▁Thé ven ot ▁counted ▁