^64. Phyjical Ohfervations 3cc. 



During the Summer Seafon, thefe Countries are rarely refreflied 

 with Rain', but enjoy the like Serenity of Air, that hath 

 been taken Notice of in Barbary. 

 fi/'"^'"^ jj-, ^YiQ Beginning of^pril, the Barley, all over the Hofy Land, 

 was in full Ear, and, about the Middle, began to turn yellow 

 in the fouthern Diftrids. For it was as forward near Jericho, 

 in the latter End oi March, as I found it to be, in the Plains of 

 ^cre, a Fortnight after. But the Wheat was very little of it in 

 Ear, at one or other of thofe Places : and, in the Fields nQ^v Beth- 

 lehem and Jerufalem, the Stalk was little more than a Foot high. 

 ?/ £°^^J''^The Boccores likewife, or firft Ripe Figs, were hard and no big- 

 finaiimk^xw. gg]- |-}^^^j-, q^j- common Plums ; though they have then a Method 



of making them palatable, by fteeping them in Oy 1. According 

 therefore to the Quality of the Seafon, {y4n. 1711.) when I 

 travelled in the Holy Land, I very much doubt, whether the 

 Firft-Fruits could have been offered at the Time appointed, 

 without intercalating' the ["|"l^<^] Ke-adar , and poftponing 

 thereby the Paflbver, for at leaft the Space of a Month. 

 The Sod and Thc Soil botli of thc maritime and inland Parts oi Syria and 

 Thoenice, is of a light loamy Nature , rarely requiring more 

 than one Pair of Oxen to plow it. Befides all Sorts of excellent 

 Grain and fuch vegetable Diet as hath been defcribed in the Fruit 

 and Kitchen Gardens oiBarhary, the chief Produce is Silk and 

 Cotton. The Inhabitants fend the Eggs of the Silk-Worm, as 

 foon as they are flied, to Cannohine, or fome other Place upon 

 Mount Libanm, where they are kept cool, without Danger of 

 being hatched, 'till the Mulberry Buds are ready for them in the 

 Spring. The fame Caution is ufed at Limefole and other Places 

 in the Ifland of Cyprm, by preferving them upon what they 

 call {Jibbel Krim) The Great Mountain. The whole Oeconomy 

 and Management of the Silk Worm is at prefent fo well known 

 in England, that nothing need be faid upon that Subje<5t. 



1 This known Quality of the Summer Seafon is appealed to i Sam. 12. 17. Js it not 

 Wheat Harveft to Day ? / will call unto the Lord, and hejljallfend Thunder and Rain : which 

 nnift have been looked upon as an extraordinary Phenomenon at that Time of the Year. 

 2 7\y^r\ HK rnaVO f'WD nwS^ IV- &c. i. c. Propter tres cafus intercalabant in anno j 

 propter Epocham anni Solaris ; propter fruges maturas & propter frudus arborum. Sijudices 

 animadvertiffent nondum maturas elfe fruges, fed adhuc ferotinas eflc, neque fruftus arbo- 

 rum, quibus mos eft tempore pafchali florere ; illis duobus argumentis Ditcbantur& inter- 

 calabant in anno. Ac quanquam Epocha anni antevertcbat fextam decimam menfis Nifan, 

 tamen intercalabant, ut frumentum maturum eflet, ex quo offerretur manipulus in xvi Nifan, 

 & ut frudus florerent more omnium. ** Judices computo inito fciebant (1 Tekupha Nifan 

 effet in fextadecima Nifan aut poftj & intercalabant in eo anno, mutato Nifan in Adar ge- 

 mimim, nimirum ut Pefach incideret in tempus frugum maturarum See. Maimonid. apud 

 J. Scalig. de Emendat. Temp. 1, 2. p. 104. 



Though 



