In the town are found several strange plants; one called _Musa_, whereof the stalks are from nine to twelve foot high, which are smooth, and without they are inclosed in their leaves, and often quite surrounded like our reeds, of a fine shining green; at the top thereof the leaves spread themselves out, and look like a great bush of feathers, for they are very long, and so broad, that the biggest person may lie upon them with his whole body very well. These leaves have a rib in the middle, which keepeth them up streight, and so strongly, that although the wind breaketh them at the sides in several places, yet notwithstanding they remain upright. These trees bear their fruit no more than once, wherefore they are cut down, and so the root shoots out several other stalks about a foot distant from the old one, which grow up again, and bring forth fruit, which groweth on a thick stalk in great numbers; they are almost shaped like the _Citruls_, round and bended, only they are less, smooth without, invironed with a thick rind, which is first yellow, but when they are kept a few days it grows black, it is easily separated when they are new; within they are whitish, full of seeds, sweet and good to eat; but they fill mightily, and are apt to gripe: Wherefore, (as _Theophrastus_ mentioneth in the fifth chapter of his fourth book) _Alexander_ the Great forbid his army to eat them, when he went into the _Indies_. There groweth but very little of this fruit about _Tripoli_, but it is brought from the neighbouring places plentifully. We also find there another tree, not unlike unto our _Privett_, by the _Arabians_ called _Alcana_, or _Henne_, and by the _Grecians_, in their vulgar tongue _Schenna_, which they have from _Egypt_, where, but above all in _Cayro_, they grow in abundance. The _Turks_ and _Moors_ nurse these up with great care and diligence, because of their sweet-smelling flowers, and put them into earthen pots, or wooden cases or boxes, to keep them in the winter in vaults from the frost, which they cannot endure. And because they hardly begin to sprout before _August_, they water them with Soap-suds, but others lay lime about the root, to make it put forth the earlier, that it may flower the sooner, because of the pleasantness of the smell of the flowers, which is somewhat like musk: They are of a pale yellow colour, and stand in spikes of the length of a span, but not very close, so that leaves appear between them; their twigs are also of the same colour, whereof many are sent to us, to cleanse the teeth with, as it were with a brush, when they are bruised a little at the ends. They also, as I am informed, keep their leaves all winter, which leaves they powder and mix with the juice of Citrons, and stain therewith, against great holydays, the hair and nails of their children of a red colour, which colour perhaps may be seen with us on the mains and tails of _Turkish_ horses. The powder is greenish, and so common with