96 THE GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



and onions have been esteemed in Egypt from 

 very early times ; and Hasselquist shows, that 

 there is good reason for the superior value there 

 set on them. " Whoever," he says, " has tasted 

 onions in Egypt, will allow that none better are 

 to be had in any part of the universe. Here 

 they are sweet, in other countries they are 

 nauseous and strong ; here they are soft, 

 whereas in the northern and other parts they 

 are hard. Hence they cannot in any place be 

 eaten with less prejudice and more satisfaction 

 than in Eprypt." 



Most of the people of western Asia are re- 

 markably fond of onions, and the Arabs are. 

 passionately so. The garlic of Egypt was for- 

 merly much esteemed ; Dioscorides says, that 

 garlic anciently grew very plentifully in Egypt ; 

 and Herodotus tells us, that in his time there 

 was an inscription on the great pyramid, re- 

 cording the expense of the onions, radishes, and 

 garlic, which had been consumed by the work- 

 men during the progress of the undertaking. 

 The cucumber of Egypt is far less apt to dis- 

 agree with the stomach than those grown in 

 England ; indeed, when in season, they are 

 eaten by all classes to an extent which would 

 scarcely seem credible in this country. In Syria, 

 the cucumber was cultivated in open fields, far 

 from the habitations of men ; and here a hut 

 was erected for the watchman, who guarded the 

 fruit from foxes and jackals. Bishop Heber 

 saw in India a man in a small shed of bamboo 

 and thatch, thus watching a field of cucumbera. 



