192 BANANA. 



general way, and when the banana is ripe, the shell may be estimated 

 at about 36.8, the edible banana at 73.2 per cent. 



The Musa paradisica is the variety of banana generally culti- 

 vated, and it also yields the heaviest crops. The fruit of the other 

 two varieties mentioned is much smaller ; but it is of a much more 

 delicate flavor. The ripe fruit of the banana is of the consistence 

 of a pear ; it is very sweet, and slightly acid. In the common va- 

 riety, I found crystallizable sugar, gum, an acid, (probably the malic,) 

 gallic acid, albumen, pectic acid, woody fibre, and alkaline and earthy 

 salts. Dried in the sun, 1000 parts of ripe banana were reduced to 

 439 parts ; so that they contained 561 parts of water. The green 

 or unripe banana has a white and almost insipid flesh. In this state 

 it scarcely contai>is any sugar ; it is starch that predominates. In 

 this state, therefore, it is made a substitute for bread, for the potato, 

 or Indian corn ; it may be considered a farinaceous vegetable. 

 After having removed the rind, the banana is dressed by being 

 roasted under the aiihes until the outer part is slightly brown ; it is 

 then served up at table, and constitutes a kind of soft bread, very 

 agreeable to the palat^^, and greatly preferable, in my opinion, to the 

 produce so much vaunted of the bread-fruit tree. In the expeditions 

 which are undertaken into the forest, and when the habitations of 

 man are to be quitted for some considerable time, the green banana 

 is always made a principal part of the provision ; but then it is pre- 

 viously dried, first to lessen its weight, and then to destroy its vi- 

 tality so far as to prevent its ripening. This drying is performed in a 

 baker's oven, into which the green bananas, stripped of their husks, 

 are introduced, and where they are kept for about eight hours. On 

 being taken out, the bananas are hard, brittle, translucent, and pre- 

 sent the appearance of horn ; 100 lbs. of the green fruit give but 40 

 of dry substance. The banana thus prepared is called /?/?, and will 

 keep for a great length of time without change. To prepare it for 

 food, it is put to steep in water, and then boiled ; by adding a little 

 salted meat, a very substantial and nutritious meal is prepared. I 

 once made a voyage on the Pacific, in a vessel which was princi- 

 pally victualled with dried bananas, which were served out to the 

 company like biscuit. 



When ripe, the banana is no longer farinaceous ; as it ripens, its 

 starch is changed into gum and sugar, and an acid is developed. 

 But between the farinaceous and the sugary or perfectly ripe state, 

 there is one intermediate, in which it is generally eaten. Roasted in 

 the ashes, the banana has then a taste which brings to mind that of 

 •he chestnut ; it is also eaten as a vegetable, boiled in the usual way 

 ,n water. Completely ripe, the fruit is eaten raw or dressed, it is 

 then extremely sweet; a very common practice is to fry it, cut in 

 slices, in grease. 



I have no data upon which to estimate the nutritive value of the 

 bannna, still I have reasons for believing that it is more nutritious 

 than the potato. I have seen men do a great deal of hard labor upon 

 an allowance of about 6.'? pounds of half-ripe bananas, and two ounces 

 uf salted meated per diem. 



