154 DEL AGO A BAY. 



The castor-oil plant grows like a weed, but 

 the seed is never collected, and I should imagine 

 it would be worth cultivating. 



A little gingelly seed is exported for its oil, 

 and formerly the stone of a red fruit, something 

 like a coffee-berry, was exported for the thick 

 oil it produces ; but I am told the oil is not of 

 sufficient value to make it worth exportation, 

 the price asked for it here being rather high. 

 The tree producing it is large and handsome, 

 with dark green foliage and large bunches of 

 small yellowish-white, sweet-scented flowers. 

 The fruit is enclosed in clusters of fluffy light 

 green pods, which burst when ripe, disclosing 

 their bright red contents. The natives are very 

 fond of the fruir, soaking it in water for about 

 ten minutes before they suck the very limited 

 supply of pulp from off the seeds. 



They also gather and eat it fresh from the 

 tree, filling their mouths till their cheeks are 

 quite puffed out, and keeping the fruit there till 

 sufficient moisture has rendered it soft enough 

 to suck. It is amusing to meet them when this 



