220 Fhyfical and MifceUaneous 



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

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

 viiion was made againft Accidents of this Kind , that feveral 

 of the Houfes, (built only, as ufual, 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 Firjf, The firft Rains fall fome Years in September, in others a 

 Month later ; after which the ^rabs break up Their Ground, 

 and begin to fow Wheat and plant Beans. This commonly 

 falls out about the middle of OBober : 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 thc lattcr Raltts fall in the Middle of^pril, (as they ufually do) 

 the Crop is reckoned fecure; the Harveft following in the 

 latter End of Majy or in the Beginning of yime, according to 

 the preceeding Quality of the Seafons. 



Tke ^a^tity Two Bufhcls aud an half of Wheat or Barley, are judged here 



oftkeircop.^^ be 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 Bufhel yielding ordinarily from eight to twelve ; though 

 fome Diftrifts, I have been informed, afford a much greater 

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

 iing from one Grain. Even fome Grains of the Murwaanj 

 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 refpedive Fruitfulnefs o(Eg/pf and Barbarji) \hQEmeer 

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

 Ba/haw of Cairo, one that yielded fix fcore. Tlinj^ ' mentions 

 fome that bore three or four hundred. It likewife happeneth 

 that one of thefe Stalks fometimes bears two Ears : whilft 



I Tritico nihil eft fertilius : hoc ei nacura tribuit, quoniam eo maxitne alat homlnem : 

 utpote cum e modio, fifit aptum folum, quale in Byz.ac\o Africa, campo, centeni quinquageni 

 {centum folum memoranttir Exc. p. 22. B.) modii reddantur. Mifit ex eo loco Dlvo Augufto 

 Procurator ejus ex uno grano (vix credibile diiftu) quadringenta paucis minus germina, ex- 

 tantque de ea re Epiftolae. MiCr & Mroni fimiliter cccxl ftipulas ex uno grano, PUn, 

 1. 18. cap. 10. 



the 



