112 BOTANY, 



TABLE FRUITS. 



There 19 a great variety of fruits indigenous and exotic 

 in this part of the British Territories, and to a native, who 

 while a child eats a raw sweet potatoe with as much zest 

 as a European would an apple, they are no doubt consi- 

 dered unsurpassable. The ancient Celts eat acorns, and 

 the modern Californians still use acorn bread, and the 

 Burmese and Karens eat fruits which are but little superi* 

 or to an acorn. Some however, are thought to be delici- 

 ous and are held in high repute ; but in general they are 

 much inferior to the fruits of temperate climates. 



MANGOSTEEN. 



" Malaya's nectared mangosteen " is truly a deliciou3 

 fruit, and by many esteemed as " the most palatable of 

 known fruits," but" though very delicate it is not to be 

 compared to an American peach. It is cultivated to a 

 considerable extent in Mergui, but is rarely seen in the 

 northern Provinces. 



Garcinia mangostana. 



DOR J AN. 



The dorian holds an important place among the fruits 

 of this country being regarded by the voluptuous natives 

 as second to none. It is probably the most fceted fruit 

 in existence. Wight speaks of" the dorian so celebrated 

 on account of its fine flavored but excessively foetid fruit ;" 

 and adds : " It is said by Rumphius to be of a very heat- 

 ing quality, liable to excite inflamatory derangements of 

 the system." 



Durio zibethinus. 



^qgSi oojql Gojql ojj^u 



MANGO. 



The Mango deserves the first place among the indigent 

 ous fruits, being, as Dr. Lindley truly says : " To the inha* 

 bitants of India what the peach is to Europeans ; the 



