298 LETTER XL 



Syria, where they abound ^ and quotes Straho^ 

 who affirms, That the Country about the River 

 Euphrates, produces great quantities of Barley, 

 bat that the want of all other things was fupplied 

 by their Palm-trees ; that That fingle Tree af- 

 forded the Inhabitants both Wine and Vinegar, 

 Honey and Mead ; and out of it they wove their 

 Cloaths : The Shells ferve the Smiths for Fire ; 

 and when you have foaked the Shells in Water^ 

 you may feed your Cattle, your Oxen and Sheep 

 with them : And it is reported, that there is a 

 Perfic Poem, which enumerates three hundred 

 and fixty ufes (one for every day of the old year) 

 of the Palm-tree. In fome places oi Arabia they 

 are perfumed : And thofe in Syria, as they are 

 moft beautiful to the Eye, fo they are of a moft 

 delicious tafte to the Palate. Now, as Ab, Seller 

 was a Perfon of fuch a communicative Nature, 

 as well as great Reading and Curiofity, it would 

 have been wondrous Itrange, if he had believed 

 that (according to Plmy and other miftaken Au- 

 thors) there had been both Male and Female 

 Palm-trees, he fliould not have given us a hint 

 or two of fo fmgular a fad:. In fliort ; I know 

 of no Male Fruit Tree of any kind 5 for in mine, 

 and indeed all other Gardens that I ever vlfited, 

 Apple-trccs, Pear-trees, Orange-trees, Tamarind- 

 trees, Plumb-trees, Apricock-trees, Peach-trees, 

 G?r. do all yield (fome more, fome lefs) their pe- 

 culiar 



