THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 107 



The baobab surpasses all known trees in size, and 

 even forms an exception to the general rule in vege- 

 tation in Australia. It is hardly ever found beyond 

 a hundred miles from the coast, and it occurs most 

 frequently on the river Glenelg as far as the western 

 borders of Arnheim's Land. It prefers level sandy 

 tracts ; in stony and less fertile soil it rises to no 

 great height, but still attains a colossal breadth, throw- 

 ing out branches of extraordinary thickness. The 

 fruit of the Australian baobab is much smaller than 

 that of the African variety, in which an important 

 trade is carried on in Senegal. But the fruit of the 

 former is as highly prized by the Australians as the 

 latter by the negroes of Senegambia. The tart pulp 

 of this fruit is called by the German settlers on the Or- 

 ange River, Cream of Tartar, and by the English col- 

 onists Monkey bread. The baobab of Australia is 

 not considered as a curiosity only, but as a tree bear- 

 ing a sort of providential food, which is obtained at 

 once in a solid and liquid form, and a most abundant 

 ministrant to human wants in that arid and burning 

 climate. 



