1^02. improvements in India. 191 



I have been so particular that you may communicate 

 •with the gentlemen in the Coimbatore country, and pro- 

 cure as many young trees as pofsible. 



The reverend Mr John, and some philosophical gentle- 

 men at Tranquebar, are the first Europeans who have cul- 

 tivated this tree on the coast ; and by their means, Mr 

 Roxburgh, I believe, was supplied with some plants 

 which he sent to England, which were said to have come 

 originally from Ceylon ; bat as Mr Andrews has traced it 

 from Travancore, where Mr Alexander Anderson found 

 it under the name of the Maldive jack, it is probably a 

 native of the Indian, as well as Pacific Ocean j although 

 the uses to which it may be applied in the economy of 

 human life, might still have remained unknown, but for 

 these southern voyages. 



Notwithstanding what I have said about its propagati- 

 on, when the fruit is ripe, I could wifh you to examine it, 

 and see if there is any thing like kernels or seeds, that 

 you may likewise try if it can be raised from seeds. It 

 thrives best on the same kind of soil as the jack, which is 

 the red volcanic earth near the foot of the hills, and a 

 higher level than to admit standing water in the monsoon. 



Fort St George, J am, is'C. 



^■jn. 29. 1792. 



From Robert Andrews esq. to Dr Jarnes Anderson 



Dear Sir, 

 Mr. MeIn has before written you on our notion of having 

 discovefed the bread fruit tree \ he has sent you a leaf 

 thereof, and this day sends you a drawing of a branch 

 of the tree, with a representation of the fruit. 



I now forward to you in a small box, a bud, which ap- 

 pears to (hoot out like Indian corn, and you will observe 

 the young fruit inclosed therein. 1 remain, is'c. 

 Tnt^bir.ofoly,Jan.z-!^. ijqz. 



From Dr James Anderson to Robert Andrews, esq. 



Dear Sit, 



I AM just favoured with your letter, and the bud of the 



bread fruit tree, with the fruit, which appears singular, 



as nature has been more careful of this, than of most 



