ASSYRIAN MONUMENTS. 27 



Hehn says that the Tartar name for the melon is 

 ^ KJiarpuz^ or ^ Kaprus' The Indian name of Cucuviis 

 rnelo is ' Kharbuza! 



Upon the whole there does not seem much diffi- 

 culty in crediting the Assyrians, not only with having 

 known the melon, but also with having grown it. 

 They may possibly not have had the same varieties 

 that the Persians and Khivans have now, but they 

 may have had in the days of Niniveh and Babylon 

 kinds sufficiently choice to place before kings and 

 persons of high rank. 



As to the water-melon {Citrullus vulgaris, Schr.), 

 De Candolle says — " It was found indigenous in tropical 

 Africa, on both sides of the equator. Livingstone saw 

 whole districts literally covered with it, and the savages 

 and several kinds of wild animals eagerly devoured 

 the wild fruit." He adds that the species has not 

 been found wild in Asia. 



The best and sweetest water-melon I ever tasted was 

 in Egypt — a red variety, with black seeds. There are 

 red varieties with red seeds, and also white varieties 

 with either black or red seeds. De Candolle says that 

 in Constantinople it is called ^ Karpiis' In India natives 

 call the water-melon ' Tarbuj! I never saw one there 

 of this kind fit to eat. While of the ordinary melon 

 {Citcuinis vielo) in Lucknow, during the kings' time, 

 they grew a delicious white-fleshed variety — small, 



