We shall insert in this place some instructive observa- 
tions, relating in part to the subject of the present article, 
from Mr. Brown's View of the Botany of Congo. 
* [t is particularly deserving of attention, that the 
greater portion of the plants now enumerated, as cultivated 
on the banks of the Congo, and among them nearly the 
whole of the most important species, have probably been 
introduced from other parts of the world, and do not 
originally belong even to the continent of Africa. Thus it 
may be stated with confidence that the Maize, the Ma- 
nioc or Cassava, and the Pine Apple, have been brought 
from America, and probably the Papaw, the Capsicum, 
and Tobacco; while the Banana or Plantain, the Lime, 
the Orauge, the Tamarind, and the Sugar-Cane, may be 
considered as of Asiatic origin." 
* In a former part of this essay, I have suggested that a 
careful investigation of the geographical distribution of ge- 
nera might in some cases lead to the determination of the 
native country of plants at present generally dispersed. The 
value of the assistance to be derived from the source referred 
to, would amount to this; that in doubtful cases, where 
other arguments were equal, it would appear more pro- 
bable that the plant in question should belong to that country 
in which all the other species of the same genus were found 
decidedly indigenous, than to that where it was the only 
species known to exist. It seems to me that this reasoning 
may be applied with advantage towards determining the 
original country of several of the plants here enumerated, 
especially of the Banana, the Papaw, the Capsicum, and 
Tobacco.” 
“ Thus, the Papaw (Carica Papaya) may be regarded 
as of American origin; there being several other decidedly 
distinct species natives of that continent, while no species 
except the cultivated Papaw, nor any plant nearly related 
to this singular genus, is known to exist either in Asia or 
Africa. But in the present case, the assistance derived 
from the argument adduced may be considered as unneces- 
sary; for the circumstance of there being no Sanscrit 
name for so remarkable a plant as the Papaw, is nearly de- 
cisive of its not being indigenous to India. And in the 
Malay Islands, the opinion of the inhabitants, according to 
Rumphius, is that it was there introduced by the Portu- 
guese.” 
