study xi. 333 



us, particularly in the South-Seas. Finally, expe- 

 rience demonftrates, that there is not a fingle fruit- 

 tree in Europe, but what becomes more beautiful 

 in fome of the illands along it's coafts, than in the 

 Continent. 



I have fpoken of the beauty of the cheftnut- 

 trees of Corfica and Sicily : but Pliny, who has 

 preferved to us the origin of the fruit-trees which 

 were in Italy in his time, informs us, that moft of 

 them had been imported from the illands of the 

 Archipelago. The walnut came from Sardinia ; 

 the vine, the fig-tree, the olive, and many other 

 fruit-trees, were natives of the other iflands of the 

 Mediterranean. Nay, he obferves, that the olive- 

 tree, as well as feveral other plants, thrives only in 

 the vicinity of the Sea. All modern travellers 

 confirm thefe obfervations. Tavernier, who had 

 fo many times traverfed the Afiatic Continent, af- 

 fures us, that no olive-trees are to be feen beyond 

 Aleppo. An anonymous Englifh traveller, whom 

 I have already quoted with approbation, pofitively 

 aflerts, that no where, on the Continent, are there 

 to be found fig-trees, vines, mulberries, as well as 

 many other fruit-trees, once to be compared, either 

 as to magnitude or fertility, with thofe of the Ar- 

 chipelago, notwithstanding the careleflhefs and in- 

 dolence of the wretched pofleflbrs. To thefe I 



might 



