Book IV. Iland of BARBADOS, 
Tyrrhena Regum progenies, tibi 
Non ante verfo lene merum cado 
Cum flore, Macenas, rofarum, & 
Preffa tuis balanus capillis 
famdudum apud me ef. -- - Hor. Carm. L. Ill. Od. 29. 
= - - Dum licet, Affyriaque nardo 
Potamus untti. - - - - Hor. Carm. L. Il. Od. 11. 
Thefe are fome, out of the many Inftances, fuch as perfufus liguidis 
odoribus---nitidi capilli-—- with many others too tedious to be mentioned. 
Nor was this Cuftom intirely difufed, nor the Ointment thought of 
little Value, even fo late as the time of our Saviour : For, when a Woman 
_ in Bethany poured on his Head a Box full of precious Ointment, there 
were fome who had Indignation among themfelves, and faid, Why was 
this Wafte of the Ointment made ? for it might have been fold for more than 
Three hundred Pence.  . 
From what hath been faid, with regard to the Cuftom of Anointing 
among the Yews, I would not be underftood to mean, that Palm Oil 
alone was made ufe of ; for the Oil of Olives is what is chiefly mentioned 
in Scripture: However, there are fome Circumftances, which may induce 
us to believe, that both thefe Oils were promifcuoufly made ufe of. 
This, I think, is very probable, from the feveral Places of Scripture, 
where the Growth of the Palm-trees is made a Part of the Bleflings of 
the Land of Canaan; and the very natural, eafy Method of coming at 
their Oil makes it more than probable. 
Thefe Trees are very {earce in this Ifland, except at Drax’s-Hall, the 
Eftate of Henry Drax, Efq; and even there they exceed not Twelve in 
Number. © 
Among thefe, there is one young Tree about Twenty-five Feet high, 
which is remarkably incorporated within a growing Fig-tree ; nor was the 
following manner of its being thus inveloped, lefs furprifing. 
' About Nine Years ago, a ripe Fig, carried by Birds, or otherwife, was 
‘dropped among the upper Branches of the Palm-tree: As thefe are large 
and {cooping near the Parent Trunk, and being fet on in Scales, they re- 
tain a confiderable Quantity of Duft, and rotten Leaves, as well as 
Moifture, their curve Shape, and clofe Junéture to the Trunk, being capa- 
ble of retaining both. The Fig, depofited in fuch an earthy moift Place, 
foon germinated, and took Root ; and, in a fhort time, its new-produced 
Roots, which extended themfelves among the Sockets of the neighbour- 
ing Branches, meeting there with the like Nourifhment, vigoroufly grew, 
and furrounded the Top of the Trunk in feveral cartilaginous Thongs : 
From thence, growing downwards, thefe innumerable fibrous pliable 
Roots fwathed the Tree with many Bandages, which in time reached the 
Earth, and took frefh Roots: By this means their Growth was foon 
, greatly 
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