Page 171

27f 50

The seeds of sun-flowers are also eaten, as well as those of the colocynth apple. Fruits, Sfc. Grapes. Grow near the w ells: almost every garden has a vine. Pomegranate. Very fine; not plentiful. Apricot. Scarce, and bad. Peach. Never comes to maturity. Apple. Woolly, tasteless, and scarce. Melons. Water melons; good, but scarce. The musk melons are only over-ripe.cucumbers. Figs. Small, but good. Coma. A small round fruit, resembling an apple in form and smell, though not larger than a nut. It has three stones, is very sweet, and eats well when fresh. It grows on a tree sometimes thirty feet in height. Mr. Eitchie conceived this to be the Khamnus or Lotus. Esculents. Pompion. Large, yeEow, and good. Kalabash. Very good, and plentiful. Geroo. A fruit much resembling a cucumber in smell, taste, and appearance, when young; but when ripe, it smells like a melon, and is eaten as such. Turnip. Tap-rooted, and small; scarce. Carrot. Small, no flavour, and scarce. Radish. Good, and pungent. Melochia. A kind of salading. Bamia. A small pod, used in soup. Birtigallis. A juicy leaved salad. Mustard and cress. Good, but scarce. Onions. Fine, and plentiful. Garlic. Scarce, but very good. Red pepper. Very good, and plentiful. Tomata. Scarce, but good. Corn and barley are sown in October and November, and reaped In March and April; during which time, and until the last month, the crops are watered twice a week, with much labour, by means of small channels cut from the reservoirs at the weEs. Guddub or Suf- safa, ■»»„.«-* which is a species o f clover, is sown insmaE squares, in January and February, and wiE bear cutting once a fortnight untE November, when it ceases to grow, and the roots are given to cattle. It is very expensive, but fattens horses and camels very quickly. Gussub •' and Gafooly JjB, of both kinds, are sown at midsummer, and ripen in the autumn; they are sometimes given in a green state to horses ; the stalks then are very sweet, and resemble sugar-canes in taste. Many people cultivate these plants, without the intention of aEowing them to ripen, but merely to supply the horses : by pulling the stalks up by the roots, the land is soon again fit for other CTops. The dry straw is the winter fodder, but extravagantly dear. The stalk of the Gafooly sometimes grows to the height of seven or eight feet; the Guddub. resembles clover, but is more deEcate. The water of Fezzan is universaEy brackish, and in many places quite salt; and by constantly using it, and comparing the best with the worst, some weEs appear almost fresh. There are no rivers of any description; but there are stagnant ponds which produce salt, and generaEy cause the agues so prevalent in some parts of the country. The capital of Fezzan is Morzouk, the latitude of which is 25° 54' north, and longitude 15° 52' east. The other towns of note are, Sockna in the north, Zuela in the east, and Gatrone in the NN 2


27f 50
To see the actual publication please follow the link above