THE BEE, 



OR 



LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLLGENCER, 



FOR f 



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9. I79I. 



Efi/ete, 

 Botanical refearches, when united with a difpofition 

 to philanthropy, are highly ufeful. They bring to 

 light many plants that may prove beneficial to man, by 

 being tranfported from the places of their native growth 

 to other favourable fituations, where they have not been 

 planted by nature. 



In his refearches, perhaps the botanift fliould befto^w 

 his chief attention to the difcovery of fuch plants as 

 afford 3 wholefome nourifhment to man himfelf, efpe- 

 cially if they thrive in fituations where the common 

 kinds of efculent plants do not abound. The Enfete 

 of Abyffinia, according to Mr. Bruce's account, muft 

 be ranked in this clafs. It profpers only in marfhy wet 

 fituations, without any culture. It rifes with a thick 

 fucculent Hem, to the height of eight feet, w^iich being 

 foft and pliable, bends by its own weight at the top. 

 The leaves, and whole figure of the plant, has fome re- 

 femblance to the Banana, though it differs from that in 

 many obvious particulars. The whole appearance and 

 habit of the plant is fo well reprefented by the figure, 

 that a more detailed defcription of it is unneceflary 

 liere. 



t C c 2 



