342 
BENGAZl. 
Osmai relates (says the story in question) that an inhabitant of 
Yemama, a province in Arabia, once made him the following recital. 
“ I was possessor of a garden in which was a palm-tree, which had 
every year produced me abundance of fruit ; but two seasons having 
passed away, without its affording any, I sent for a person well ac- 
quainted with the culture of palms, to discover for me the reason of 
this failure. “ An unhappy attachment” (observed the man, after a 
moment’s inspection) “ is the sole cause why this palm-tree produces 
no fruit !” He then climbed up the trunk, and, looking round on all 
sides, discovered a male palm at no great distance, which he recog- 
nised as the object of my unlucky tree’s affection ; and advised me 
to procure some of the powder from its blossoms, and to scatter it 
over her branches. This I did (said the Arab,) and the consequence 
was, that my date-tree, whom unrequited love had kept barren, now 
bore me a most abundant harvest !” 
The value of the palm-tree is not generally appreciated in Europe, 
but it is highly prized in Asia and Africa. The followers of Maho- 
met (as appears from Kazwini) believe it to be peculiar to those fa- 
voured countries where the religion of the Prophet is professed. 
“ Honour the palm-tree,” (says this writer, in the words of Mahomet 
himself,) “ for she is your father’s aunt and this distinction (he tells 
us) was given to it, because the tree was formed from the remainder 
parceque le voisinage favorise leurs amours ; et si, au contraire, on feloigne I’arbre femelle 
des males, cette distance empeche qui'il ne rapporte aucun fruit. Quand on plante un 
palmier male au milieu des femelles, et que, le vent venant a souffler, les femelles re- 
solvent I’odeur des fleurs du male, cette odeur suffit pour rendre feconds tons les pal- 
miers femelles qui environnent le mdle. 
