2^8 TRAVELS IN 
into raifins, neither the rotten nor the unripe fruit is removed ; 
the confequence of which is, that the bad raifins foon fpoil thofe 
that otherwife would have been good. 
The almonds are, In general, fmall, but of a good quality. 
The trees thrive well in the very drieft and worft of foils ; in no 
fituation better than among the rocks on the fides of mountains, 
where nothing elfe would grow ; and they will bear fruit the 
fifth year from the feed. The quantity, therefore, of thefe nuts 
might be produced to an indefinite amount. The confijmption 
in the Cape of both thefe articles is very confiderable, as fur- 
niftiing part of the defert, without which, after fupper as well 
as dinner, few houfeholders would be contented ; the omiffion 
might be confidered as a criterion of poverty, a condition which 
the weaknefs of human nature leads men generally to diflemble 
rather than avow. Ships alfo take confiderable quantities of 
almonds and raifins as fea-ftockj but few have hitherto been 
lent to India or to Europe as articles of trade. Before the capture 
the prices might have admitted of it, almonds being then not 
more than from a fliilling to eighteenpence fterling the thou- 
fand, and raifins from twopence to threepence a pound j but 
the increafed demand, in confequence of the increafed number 
of (hipping, as well as of inhabitants, raifed the price of the 
former from two {hillings to two fliillings and fixpence the thou- 
fand, and of the latter from fourpence to fixpence a pound. 
Walnuts and Chefnuts are neither plentiful nor good ; and 
the latter will barely keep a month without decaying, fo that 
thefe 
