THE BREAD-FRUIT 413 



The bread-fruit continues productive for about 

 eight months of the year: such is its abundance, that 

 two or three trees will suffice for a man's yearly sup- 

 ply, a store being made into a sour paste, called 

 make in the islands, which is eaten during the unpro- 

 ductive season. The planting of the seedless variety 

 is now saved, as the creeping roots send up suckers 

 which soon grow to trees; When the fruit is roasted 

 till the outside is charred, the pulp has a consistency 

 not very unlike that of wheaten bread; and the taste 

 is intermediate between that of bread and roasted 

 chesnuts. It is said to be very nourishing, and is 

 prepared in various ways. 



The timber of the bread-fruit, though soft, is found 

 useful in the construction of houses and boats; the 

 male flowers, dried, serve for tinder; the juice answers 

 for bird-lime and glue; the leaves for packing and for 

 towels; and the inner bark, beaten together, makes 

 one species of the South Sea cloth. 



The earliest account of the bread-fruit is by Cap- 

 tain Dampier, in 1688. " The bread-fruit," says this 

 navigator, " grows on a large tree, as big and high 

 as our largest apple trees; it hath a spreading head, 

 full of branches, and dark leaves. The fruit grows on 

 the boughs like apples; it is as big as a penny loaf, 

 when wheat is at five shillings the bushel; it is of a 

 round shape, and hath a thick tough rind. When the 

 fruit is ripe, it is yellow and soft, and the taste is 

 sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for 

 bread. They gather it when full grown, while it is 

 green and hard; then they bake it in an oven 

 which scorcheth the rind, and maketh it black; but 

 they scrape off the outside black crust, and there 

 remains a tender thin crust; and the inside is soft, 

 tender, and white, like the crumb of a penny loaf. 

 There is neither seed nor stone in the inside, but all 

 of a pure substance, like bread. It must be eaten 

 new, for, if it be kept above twenty-four hours, it 



