'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.' [‎460] (513/562)

[ 460 ]
This is the Indiarfs facred tree, but they do not, as is commonly fup-
pofed, pay adoration to it: the root fpreads a great way ; the bark is a red-
di(h brown ; the wood is white and fpungy ; the tree grows to a prodigious
height, and its branches fpread a great way. The limbs drop down fibres,
which take root, and become another tree, united by its branches to the*
firft, and fo continue to do until the many trees cover a great extent of
ground : the arches which thoie different ftocks make, are gothic, and as
before obferved, fomewhat like thofe we fee in Weftminfter Abbey-, the ftocks
not being fingle, but appearing as if compofed of many ftocks, are of a
great circumference. There is a certain folemnity accompanying thofe trees;
nor do I remember that I was ever under the cover of any of them, but
that my mind was at the time imprcficd with a reverential awe ! The leaves
are of a bright, fhining green colour, flefhy, oval, and about fix inches
long. The fruit is a fig, but of what kind I cannot fay; it was with dif
ficulty I faw thofe which grow on that fpecies of the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , called the
little Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. tree, (mentioned in the marginal note, page 199, whofe fibres
had not entered the ground, and formed other trees) on account that the
birds eat them almoft as foon as they appear.
I know of no quality this tree has in medicine, but have been told, that
the dropping fhoots, when young and tender, and boiled in milk with
the flower of the cocoa-nut tree, is a cure for a Gonorrhoea.
L ittle B anian.
This is a very large fpreading tree. I have feen them 20 feet round
the ftock, which carried the appearance of being many ftocks clofely united.
The outer bark is of a whitifh, the inner is fpungy and of a reddifh brown
colour. Shoots drop from the branches, and look as if they were defigned
to touch the ground, and take root, in order to form another body, but I
never law that they did fo. The leaf is of a deep fhining green above, but
very pale below, and highly ribbed on the upper fide •, it emits a milky
juice. , The flowers I could never find, but I imagine they are the fame
as thofe of the common fig. The fruit is a fig of the fize of a fmall hazel
nut, of a pale fiefh colour, fpotted with a deep purple. This tree grows
all over India, and was curforily mentioned in my note made at Gom'
hroon.
P00N T ree.
This tree grows very tall and ftrait; the bark is greyifh ; the wood light,
but tolerably ftrong; it is frequently ufed for mafts, but unlefs great care
is taken to keep the wet from the ends of it, it foon rots. I meafured one
of thofe trees in Maham wood on the ifland of Bombay, which though
but 14 inches in diameter near the ground, yet was full 50 feet high,
and gradually taper. On and near the top, on the feveral branches,
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