THE fourth part of a cab [little more than half a pint]—five pieces of silver [£2.50]. Josephus and Theodoret were of opinion, that it was bought instead of salt, to serve as a kind of manure for the purpose of raising esculent plants of quick vegetation. The general opinion since Bochart is that it was a kind of chich-pea, or tare, which has very much the appearance of doves’ dung, whence it might be named; Mr. Taylor remarks, that in Arab writers the words kali and ugnen signify equally the dung of pigeons and chich-peas. Great quantities of the latter are sold in Cairo to the pilgrims going to Mecca; and at Damascus, Belon says, “There are many shops where nothing else is done but preparing chich-peas. These, parched in a copper pan, and dried, are of great service to those who take long journeys.” This pulse was the fare of the poorer class of people.