THE PEACH. 227 



produce its fruits. The inhabitants of the Haouran, who are 

 constantly wandering, to escape the dreadful exactions of some 

 petty tyrant, have neither orchards, nor fruit trees, nor gar- 

 dens for the growth of vegetables. "Shall we sow for stran- 

 gers?" was the affecting answer of one of them to Burkhardt. 

 One of the greatest blessings, continues he, that can be con- 

 ferred upon any rude people (and it is a blessing which will 

 bring knowledge, and virtue, and peace in its train), is to 

 teach them how to cultivate those vegetable productions which 

 constitute |the best riches of mankind. The traveler, Bur- 

 chell, rendered such a service to the Bachapins, a tribe of the 

 interior of Southern Africa. He gave to their chief a bag 

 of fresh peach stones, in quantity about a quart; "nor did I 

 fail," says the benevolent visitor of these poor people, to im- 

 press upon their minds a just idea of their value and nature, 

 by telling them that they would produce trees which would 

 continue every year to yield, without further trouble, abund- 

 ance of large fruit of a more agreeable flavor than any which 

 grew in the country of the Bachapins." 



Although it is generally conceded that the peach tree origi- 

 nated in Persia, yet it does not follow, from thence, that it 

 was one of the natural ^productions of that country — 

 and there are still doubts as to what part of the globe this 

 splendid fruit was first cultivated or had its origin. Pliny 

 relates that it had been stated to have possessed venomous 

 qualities, and the fruit was sent into Egypt by the kings of 

 Persia, by way of revenge, to poison the natives; but he treats 

 this story as a mere fable, and considers it the most harmless 

 fruit in the world ; that it had the most juice and the least 

 smell of any fruit, and yet caused thirst to those who ate of 

 it. He expressly states that it was imported by the Romans 

 from Persia; but whether it was indigenous to that country, 

 or sent thither from a region still nearer the equator, we have 

 no information. He adds, that it was not long since peaches 

 were known in Rome, and that there was great difficulty in 

 rearing them. He also informs us that this tree was brought 

 from Egypt to the Isle of Rhodes, where it could never be 

 made to produce fruit ; and from thence to Italy. He says, 



