1770 FRUITS 395 



natives are vastly fond of ; but few Europeans, at first, how- 

 ever, can endure its taste, which resembles sugared cream 

 mixed with onions. The smell also prejudices them much 

 against it, being most like that of rotten onions. (24) 

 Nanca (Sitodium cauliflorum), called in some parts of India 

 jack, 1 has like the durian a smell very disagreeable to 

 strangers, resembling very mellow apples with a little 

 garlic. The taste, however, in my opinion makes amends 

 for the smell, though I must say that amongst us English 

 I was, I believe, single in that opinion. Authors tell 

 strange stories about the immense size to which this 

 fruit grows in some countries which are favourable to it. 

 Rumphius says that they are sometimes so large that a man 

 cannot easily lift one of them : the Malays told me that at 

 Madura they were so large that two men could but carry 

 one of them; at Batavia, however, they never exceed the 

 size of a large melon, which in shape they resemble, but are 

 coated over with angular spines like the shootings of some 

 crystals : they are, however, soft, and do not at all prick any 

 one who handles them. (25) Tsjampada (Sitodium) differs 

 from nanca in little else than size. (26) Ramlutan* is a 

 fruit seldom mentioned by Europeans ; it is in appearance 

 much like a chestnut with the husk on, being like it covered 

 with soft prickles, but smaller and of a deep red colour: 

 when eaten, this skin must be cut, and under it is a fruit, 

 the flesh of which indeed bears but a small proportion to the 

 stone, but makes rich amends for the smallness of its quan- 

 tity by the elegance of its acid, superior to any other (maybe) 

 in the whole vegetable kingdom. (27) Jambolan (Myrtus) 

 is in size and appearance not unlike an English damson, but 

 has always rather too astringent a flavour to allow it to be 

 compared even with that fruit. (28) Boa lidarra (Rhamnus 

 jujuba) is a round yellow fruit, about the size of a musket 

 bullet; its flavour is compared to an apple, but like the 

 former has too much astringency to be compared with any 

 thing but a crab. (29) Nam nam (Cynometra cauliflora) is 

 shaped something like a kidney, very rough and rugged on 



1 Artocarpus integrifolia, Linn. f. 2 Nephelium lappaceum, Linn. 



