314 cook's first voyage dec. 



the Blimbing Besse, or Averrhoa Carambola ; and 

 the Cherrema, or Averrhoa aclda of Linnaeus, are 

 three species of one genus : and though they differ 

 in shape, are nearly of the same taste. The Blimb- 

 ing Besse is the sweetest : the other two are so 

 austerely acid, that they cannot be used without 

 dressing ; they make however excellent pickles and 

 sour sauce. 



37. The Salak, or Calamus Rotang Zalacca of 

 Linnaeus. This is the fruit of a prickly bush ; it 

 is about as big as a walnut, and covered with scales, 

 like those of a lizard : below the scales are two or 

 three yellow kernels, in flavour somewhat resembling 

 a strawberry. 



Besides these, the island of Java, and particu- 

 larly the country round Batavia, produces many 

 kinds of fruit which were not in season during our 

 stay ; we were also told that apples, strawberries, 

 any many other fruits from Europe, had been plant- 

 ed up in the mountains, and flourished there in great 

 luxuriance. We saw several fruits preserved in 

 sugar, that we did not see recent from the tree, one 

 of which is called Kimkit, and another Boa Atap ; 

 and here are several others which are eaten only by 

 the natives, particularly the Kellor, the Guilindina, 

 the Moringa, and the Soccum. The Soccum is of 

 the same kind with the bread-fruit in the South Sea 

 islands, but so much inferior, that if it had not been 

 for the similitude in the outward appearance both 

 of the fruit and the tree, we should not have re- 

 ferred it to that class. These and some others do 

 not merit to be particularly mentioned. 



The quantity of fruit that is consumed at Batavia 

 is incredible ; but that which is publicly exposed 

 to sale is generally over-ripe. A stranger however 

 may get good fruit in a street called Passar Pissang, 

 which lies north from the great church, and very 

 near it. This street is inhabited by none but Chi- 

 nese fruit-sellers, who are supplied from the gardens 



