CHAP. 6.—THE PALM-TREE.
In other respects, Egypt is the country that is the best suited of all for the production of unguents; and next to it, Campania,776 from its abundance of roses.
(4.) Judæa, too, is greatly renowned for its perfumes, and even still more so for its palm-trees,777 the nature of which I shall take this opportunity of enlarging upon. There are some found in Europe also. They are not uncommon in Italy, but are quite barren there.778 The palms on the coast of Spain bear fruit, but it is sour.779 The fruit of those of Africa is sweet, but quickly becomes vapid and loses its flavour; which, however is not the case with the fruit of those that grow in the East.780 From these trees a wine is made, and bread by some nations,781 and they afford an aliment for numerous quadrupeds. It will be with very fair reason then, that we shall confine our description to the palm-tree of foreign countries. There are none in Italy that grow spontaneously,782 nor, in fact, in any other part of the world, with the exception of the warm countries: indeed, it is only in the very hottest climates that this tree will bear fruit.