BOOK iir. en A p. VIII. 809 



bitter; the finen; come from the Red Mills near Spanlfh Town, the Li- 

 guanea Mountains, and the Inhmd parts. They are a favourite food 

 with the Negroes, and often conftitute the fole flipport of many of the 

 lazier, who have neglefted to ftock their grounds with other provi- 

 lion. They are thought great provocatives ; and, for this rcafon it is 

 faid, the Spaniards do not like to fee their wives indulge too much in 

 them. It is extraordinary, that moft creatures are obferved to eat this 

 fruit with pleafure ; it is equally agreeable to the horfe, the ox, the 

 dog, cat, and birds in general. It is in perfe(ftion fiom May to Sep- 

 tember. The Negroes are fometimes apt to eat it immediately after 

 the May rains, or when it is crude and watery, in which flate it oc- 

 cafions fluxes and diarrhoeas. The feed is contained in the center, and 

 rattles or fhakes when the pear is ripe, and fit to eat. This feed is 

 hard, wrinkled, and heart-formed. On writing upon a white wall 

 with one of them, the letters turn to a red colour, and will not fade, 

 until the wall is wafhed, and even then with difficulty. So, if a table- 

 cloth, or rather white linen, is laid upon the feed, and a letter or fio-ure 

 pricked out with a pin, the cloth will be imprinted with the form in a 

 dark yellowifh colour, or ftain, which cannot eafily be got out. 



It is feen by the experiment on the wall, that the alkali of the lime 

 or plaifter on the furface fixes the juices of this feed to a red colour : 

 experiments therefore may be tried, by macerating a quantity of them 

 with lime-water, to difcover whether they might not produce a tinc- 

 ture proper for giving fuch a dye to linens, or other fubflances ? 



There are feveral other efculent fruits ; but I fhall, for brevity fake, 

 range them hereafter in a general lift, with fome of the preceding, and 

 mention their particular or remarkable qualities by way of note. 



169. Vanglo, Wongala, or Oil-plant — Sefamiim Orientale, 



Twofpecies of this plant are cultivated in this ifland. They are faid 

 to have been firft introduced by the Jews. The feeds are frequently ufed 

 in broths. They are in great efteem among the Oriental nations, who 

 look upon them as a hearty wholefome article of diet, and exprefs an 

 oil from them, not unlike or inferior to the oil of almonds. They 

 are cultivated In Carolina with great fuccefs ; and it has been com- 

 puted there, that nine pounds of feed will yield upwards of two pounds 



Vol. Ill, 5 L uett 



