'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎473] (526/562)

[ 473 1
Scarlet Fig.
This is a very fpreading tree, the branches generally growing in a cir
cular manner as if cut by art, the under part of the limbs making almoft
a plane at the diftance of 10 or 12 feet from the ground, affording fine
Ihelter for the cattle •, the upper part is convex, and of a confiderable height.
The femidiameter of one near Calcutta in Bengal is full 20 yards. The bark
is brown, the fkin next it, and alfo the wood, is of a bright reddifh brown.
All the figs from their limbs drop fhoots which take root. The leaf is of a
fine deep ihining green above, but fomewhat paler below. It flowers as the
other figs do; the fruit is a fine fcarlet fig, whofe diameter is an inch.
Coddam.
This is a large timber-tree which grows to 40 feet in height; the root
fpreads much. The bark is grey, and much cracked \ the wood is of a pale
yellow, and clofe grained. The leaves are of a fine green colour and elegantly
ribbed, they grow in pairs. The flower grows at the end of the branches,
it is round and of the fize of a tennis-ball, and almoft as hard, exceptino-
the ftyle, which is much longer than the cup, and being perfe6lly white^
ftanding out of it, makes it look as if it was larded: the furface of
the ball is made up of fine yellow monopetalous cups, 4 of an inch lono-,
divided into five parts for a third of their length j and their five (lamina are
fhorter than the cups. Stigma are oval; thele are fo very clofe together as
to make it of the hardnefs above-mentioned ; within this, of the fame length,
is another feries of white flowers : the reft is a fibrous white fluff, without
any appearance of feed ; the flower is fixed to a long and (lender peduncle.
This tree is planted for ornament and fhade, on the fides of the walks at
Bengal.
Singo , on the Malabar coafl; Morunga , on the Coromandel.
This tree grows up to 20 feet, and fpreads a great deal. The bark is
nearly white, the fkin that is next to it, reddifh j the wood is whitifh and
fpungy. The leaves are of a pale green, very tender, and pinnated farther
than Dr. Hill defcribes them to be, but I think what he calls the ramofe
leaf of the Ben, comes neareft to a true defcription. The flowers are white,
and grow on large fpikes almoft covering the tree, yielding a beautiful
appearance. The fruit is a long triangular pod, which contains in its
cavities hard, angular, alated nuts, and which I apprehend to be the Ben nuts.
The root of this tree is ufed as horfe-radiih, and taftes very much like it.
The leaves mixed with a little fait, and taken after a furfeit, vomit fmartly.
The fruit when green the Indians eat in their curries, and fo they do the
flowers. The tree affords areddifh gum, in fhape and quality like gumTra-
gacanth. Query, if the wood be not the Lignum Nephriticum ? It grows
all over India.
P p p Jack