56 TILLAGE AND HORTICULTURE. [169I. 



abundance, and of all sorts ; but that which we brought from 

 Holland, was spoil'd by the Air of the Sea, we having forgot 

 to put it into Earthen Pots, and Seal them down well. "We 

 furnish'd our selves witli other Seed at the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Only five Seeds of Ordinary, and as many of Water- 

 Melons came up ; three of Succory,^ three of Wheat, some 

 Artichokes, Purslain, Turnips^ Mustard, Gilly-flowers and 

 Clover-grass. The Gilly-flowers rose high, but they did 

 not blow, and at last they all perish'd. 



The Turnips did the same, and were entirely destroy'd by 

 the Worms before we cou'd eat them. The Melons which I 

 call Land, to distinguish them from Water-M^eioii^, came up 

 almost without Culture in abundance, prodigiously Large, and 

 excellently well tasted. I do not believe there can be better 

 anywhere, and we found by Experience they had this rare 

 Quality, that tho' one did eat of them a little to Excess, no 

 Inconvenience happen'd afterwards. 



We put 'em into all our Sauces, and they were admirable 

 in all ; We might have had them all the year long, but we 

 observ'd that those which came up in the Winter, that is, 

 when 'twas not so hot as at other times, towards the Months 

 of June and July, were a great deal better than the others. 



We thought at first we must expose them to the Sun, as 

 we do in France, but we soon found they wou'd thrive better 

 in the Shade, which we may suppose is caus'd by the differ- 

 ence of the Climate and Soil. 



Among our five Plants of Water-Melons, there were two 

 sorts. Red and White ; the first were the best. The Rind 

 was Green, and the inside Red ; they are very Refreshing, 

 and never do any hurt no more than the others : They are 

 so full of Water, that one may easily go without Drink when 

 they are eaten : Sometimes they were so big, that all Eight 

 of us cou'd hardly eat up one of them. 



1 Or chicory (C. intyhvf<), extensively used for adulterating coffee. 



