TEOPICAL FRUITS. 113 



Indian fruit, which would, no doubt, thrive well in most of the 

 river-side settlements. 



The beautiful Akee (Blighia sapida), originally brought from 

 the West Coast of Africa by slave ships, is now a common tree 

 in the West Indies, and I noticed several fine specimens in 

 Belize. The eatable portion of the fruit is the white spongy aril 

 in which the jet-black seeds are partly immersed. This, when 

 cooked, after carefully removing the stringy substance between 

 the lobes, approaches the character of a custard, and is highly 

 esteemed in most tropical countries. " Salt-fish and Akee " is a 

 standing planter's dish in Jamaica. 



The Avocado, or Alligator-pear (Per sea gratissima), is a well- 

 known vegetable, rather than a fruit, which might be extensively 

 cultivated, both for home use as well as for exportation. There 

 are two well-marked varieties the green and the purple, the 

 latter, from its larger size and finer flavour, being generally 

 preferred in the West India Islands. The edible portion of the 

 fruit is the firm pulp, enclosing the single large seed, which 

 possesses a buttery or marrow-like taste, and hence called 

 " subaltern's butter:" The popular names of this fruit are sup- 

 posed to have been derived from the Mexican term " ahuacatl " ; 

 the Spaniards corrupted this to "avocado," which means an 

 advocate; and the English still further to "alligator-pear." 

 A quantity of very superior oil, useful for illuminating and 

 other purposes, may be obtained from the pulp by expression, 

 samples of which were lately sent from Jamaica to the Inter- 

 national Exhibition at Amsterdam. 



The Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) would find a congenial home 

 on the rich lands at the western frontier ; and, both on account 

 of its prolific character as a fruit, as well as for the sake of its 

 abundant foliage, used in many countries as food for cattle, 

 it might be very well tried. The much-prized Mangosteen 



