198 MAURITIAN FRUITS. [1696. 



many other places of this Island, they plant Tobacco/ which 

 is excessive strong: They plant likewise great numbers of 

 Sugar-Canes.2 The Spirit they draw from them, and which 

 is here call'd Araque, is strong and unwholsom while it is 

 new. I would say nothing of the Ananas, the Banancs, 

 beautiful and excellent Fruit, which they have here in 

 great abundance, because all Eelations speak of them, were 

 it not that there are divers sorts of them. The Ananas^ of 

 Isle Maurice comes out of the Ground like an Artichoke, 

 and multiplies like it : Its Seed is in the Tuft that crowns 

 the Fruit. This Plant bears but one of these Fruit, which 

 is commonly about the bigness of a midling Melon, shap'd 

 pretty much like a Pine-Apple,* and dazling the Eye on all 

 sides with lively and beautiful Colours. It has a sort of 

 Crown a top consisting of small Leaves, and one can never 

 be tir'd with looking on it, no more than with admiring its 

 sweet and exquisite Sapour ; but as it is extreamly cold, it 

 must be eaten with great Moderation. Its large and thick 

 Leaf is arniM on the sides with prickles, and resembles 



(A^alentyu, I. c, p. 152). It is suggested that Valentyn may have seen 

 Leguat and derived some information from him personally, as he had 

 not visited Mauritius. 



1 "The tobacco is not good. None is planted but by the negroes 

 for their own use." (St. Pierre, /. c, p. 112. Vide ante, p. 147.) 



2 "The sugar-cane ripens here in perfection; the inhabitants make 

 an indifferent sort of liquor, which they c&Wjlangourin. There is but one 

 sugar-house in the whole island." (Bernardin de St. Pierre, /.c, p. 120.) 

 This one sugar-house is mentioned by Baron Grant in 1753. He says : 

 "MM. Vigoureux of St. Malo have established an handsome sugar- 

 work ; but it is so ill-conducted, that the sugar has the appearance of 

 Norman honey : it costs two sous the pound, and is quite disgusting ; 

 but we entertain the hope that the manufacture will improve. This 

 sugar is employed to cover houses in the Italian manner, and, being 

 incorporated with chalk, forms a kind of mastic ; and being sj^read on 

 fine planks, becomes hard as pavement. The Indians alone know how 

 to make this composition." {Op. cit., p. o70.) 



^ Ajianas, or pineapple, Bruiuelia ananas. 



* In orig. : "pomme de pin," /. c, a pine or fir cone. 



