2 go THE NATURAL HISTORY 
The Arabs call it aneb el dib, i. e. violf-grapcs. 
The Prophet could not have found a plant more 
oppofite to the vine than this, for it grows much 
in the vineyards, and is very pernicious to them, 
wherefore they root it out ; it likewife refembles 
a vine by its fhrubby ftalk. 
Of the Onions of the Ifraelites. 
Allium cepa, Onion ; by the Arabs called Bafal* 
That this was one of the fpecies of Onions, for 
which the Ifraelites longed, we may guefs by the 
quantity to this day ufed in Egypt, and by their 
goodnefs there ; whoever hastafted Onions in Egypt* 
muft allow, that none can be had better in an/ 
part in the univerfe : here they are fweet, in othef 
countries they are naufeous and ftrong ; here the/ 
are foft, whereas in the North and other parts the/ 
are hard, and the coats fo compact, that they are 
hard of digeftion. Hence they cannot in any place 
be eaten with Jels prejudice, and more fatisfuftiofl* 
than in Egypt. The juft longing of the Ifraelites 
teaches us, that they were introduced into the kit' 
chen, about the time they left Egypt. They ^ 
them roafted, cut into four pieces, with fome bit* 
of roafted meat, which the Turks, in Egypt, caj* 
kebab ; and with this difh they are fo delight^’ 
that 1 have heard them wifh they might enjoy l£ 
in Paradife. They likewife make a foup of the? 1 
in Egypt, cutting the Onions in fmall pieces ; thlS 
I think one of the beft difhes I ever eat. 
Allium fativum. Linnaei. Garlick. 
Is by the Arabians called Turn. This is 
much ufed; but I am inclined to think, it 
not known to the Ifraelites, as it does not gr° w 1 
Egyp c ’ 
I 
