9 



Venice and Trieste, where, as we hear, they 

 are intended to be distilled into a liquor, which 

 is supposed to be an antidote to the plague, or 

 at least useful in curing it. These pods are 

 about twenty inches long, and from half to 

 three-quarters of an inch in diameter. We call 

 them pods for want of a term which would 

 more accurately describe them ; but they are 

 not flat, neither have they that sort of hinge on 

 one side and slight fastening on the other, which 

 plainly shew how the shells of peas and beans 

 are to be opened. On the contrary, these are 

 round ; but there are two opposite lines along 

 them, where the colour alone would induce any 

 one to suppose the skin to be, as it isS, thinner 

 than elsewhere. Having this fruit before us 

 only in its dry state, we can describe it in no 

 other ; but at present a knife could scarcely be 

 made to penetrate the thicker part, and does 

 not very easily make its way into the thinner. 

 The fruit, which lies in little cells within, is a 

 pulp or paste somewhat like that of tamarinds, 

 but smoother, and not so sweet. There are 

 pips in it, nearly as hard, and about half as 

 large as those of a tamarind, containing a ker- 

 nel in each. 



B 3 



