220 Phyfical and MifceUaneous 



Tozer in December ( A.D. 1717) we had a fmall drilling Shower 

 that continued for the fpace of two Hours; and fo little Pro- 

 vifion was made againft Accidents of this Kind , that feveral 

 oftheHoufes, (built only, asufual, with Palm Branches, and 

 Tiles baked in the Sun) fell down by imbibing the Moifture. 

 Nay, provided the Drops had been either larger or the Shower 

 of a longer Continuance, the whole City would have undoubted- 

 ly difolved and dropt to Pieces. 

 The Firp, The firft Rains fall fome Years in September, in others a 

 Month later ; after which the Arabs break up Their Ground, 

 and begin to fow Wheat and plant Beans. This commonly 

 falls out about the middle of O&ober : but the fowing of 

 Barley, and the planting of Lentils and Garvancos, is a Fort- 

 night or three Weeks later, or not 'till the End oi November. 

 and Latter If tlic lattet Rains fall in the Middle οι April, (as they ufually do) 

 ^''""* the Crop is reckoned fecure; the Harveft following in the 

 latter End of May or in the Beginning of June, according to 

 the preceeding Quality of the Seafons. 

 Ίl•e Quantity ^wo Buflicls and an half of Wheat or Barley, are judged here 

 oftb^cross. ^Q i^g fufficient to fow as much Ground, as a pair of Oxen will 

 plow in one Day, which I have always found to be a little more 

 or lefs equal to one of our Acres. I could never learn that 

 any Part of Barbary afforded yearly more than one Crop; 

 one Bufliel yielding ordinarily from eight to twelve ; though 

 fome Dift rifts, I have been informed, afford a much greater 

 Increafe. For it is common to fee ten or fifteen Stalks ari- 

 fing from one Grain. Even fome Grains of the Murwaany 

 Wheat, which I brought with me to Oxford, threw out fifty. 

 But Muzeratty, the late Kaleefa of the weftern Province, 

 brought once with Him to Algiers, a Root that yielded four- 

 fcore; telling us, that (in Confequence of aDifpute concern- 

 ing the refpeftive Fruitfulnefs of £g/p/and Barbary) thQEfneer 

 Badge or Prince of the (weftern) Pilgrims, fent once, to the 

 Bajhaw of Cairo, one that yielded fix fcore. Tliny ' mentions 

 fome that bore three or four hundred. It like wife happeneth 

 that one of thefe Stalks fometimes bears two Ears : whilft 



I Tritico nihil eft fcrtilius : Ijoc ei iiatura tribuit, quoniam eo maximc alat iiominera : 

 utpote cum c modio, fi (k aptum folum, quale in Byzacio Jfr'tae campo, ccnteni quinquagcni 

 {centum folum memoranttn Exc. p. 22. B. ) modii rcddantur. Mifit ex eo loco Diva Auguflo 

 Procurator ejus ex uno grano (vix credibile didu) quadringcnta panels minus germina, cx- 

 tantque de ea re EpiftoLe. Mifit & N(r«ni fimiliter cccxi. itipulas ex uno grano. Plin. 

 1. 18. cap. Id. 



the 



