THE DURIAN FRUIT 267 



and tatu marks representing the fruit are strikingly 

 prominent in Central Borneo. It also has its European 

 devotees, though most of them take a dislike to it on 

 account of its strong odour, resembling that of decayed 

 onions. On my arrival in Batavia one of my first trips 

 had been to the market to buy a durian, which I brought 

 to the hotel with anticipation of great enjoyment. 

 My disappointment was great, its taste being to me as 

 offensive as its odour. Nobody knows what a durian is 

 like until he eats one that has been permitted to ripen 

 and fall to the ground. Even in Java this would be 

 difficult, unless one made special arrangements with the 

 natives who bring them to the market-places. It is 

 popularly supposed that the durian is an aphrodisiac, but 

 that is not the case. Any food or fruit that one greatly 

 enjoys acts favourably on the digestive organs, and 

 therefore makes one feel in vigorous condition. 



Those that were brought to me on this occasion, and 

 which had just fallen from the tree, were of a fresh green 

 colour with a streak of yellow here and there and had a 

 pleasant, rich odour. The most satisfactory way to eat 

 it is with a spoon; the pulp, though rich, is not heavy, 

 and, moreover, is stimulating. It serves the purpose of 

 a dessert, with a flavour and delicacy that is indescriba- 

 ble and that makes one feel happy. Among the great 

 enjoyments of life are the various delicious fruits when 

 really ripe and of the best grade, but comparatively few 

 people have that experience. The vast majority are 

 perfectly satisfied to eat fruit that was picked green and 

 matured afterward. Many years ago I tasted a real 



