THE DURION. 405 



It has a hard rind, covered with warts and tubercles. 

 When ripe, it becomes of a brownish yellow, and 

 opens at the top. It must then be eaten fresh from 

 the tree, as it putrifies in less than twenty-four 

 hours. 



Internally, the fruit contains five large longitudinal 

 cells, in each of which are the seeds, about the size 

 of pigeon's eggs, and from one to four in each cell. 

 The remainder of the cells is filled with the pulp, 

 which is the delicious part of the fruit. It is of the 

 consistence of thick cream, of a milk-white colour, 

 highly nutritious, and blending the flavour and qua- 

 lities of a delicate animal substance with the cool 

 acidity of a vegetable. This compound flavour is 

 peculiarly its own, and cannot be imitated by any 

 process of cookery. The Spanish Mangia bianco, 

 pullets' flesh distilled with vinegar, is said to come 

 the nearest to it. 



The durion is a particular favourite with the 

 natives of the Eastern archipelago; and there are 

 many varieties of it. They all, however, belong 

 to three principal ones: The Borneo durion is 

 found in the island after which it is named. It 

 grows to so great a size, that one fruit is a load for a 

 man. The Cassomba, which has a smoother rind, is 

 more orange in the colour, more elongated in the 

 shape, and contains fewer seeds and more pulp. The 

 Babi is a small, but very delicious sort. The kernels 

 or seeds of the durion, when roasted, have nearly the 

 same taste as chesnuts. It has not been found in a 

 wild state; but in the countries where it will grow 

 and ripen at all, it is easily cultivated. So highly is 

 it esteemed, that it is the most costly fruit in the 

 archipelago a single durion being worth more than 

 a dozen of the choicest pine-apples. 



The Lanseh, and the Jamlee, fruits of Sumatra, 



VOL. II. 17 



