506 ACCOUNT OF BASSIA BUTYRACEA; 



They are not planted by the natives, but are 

 found growing natural!}^ in the woods ; and in 

 clearing woodland for cultivation, every tree is 

 cut down but the Shea. The tree itself, very much 

 resembles the American oak, and the fruit, from 

 the kernel of which, first dried in the sun, the 

 butter is prepared, by boiling the kernel in water, 

 has somewhat the appearance of a Spanish olive. 

 The kernel is enveloped in a sweet pulp, under a 

 thin green rind ; and the butter produced from it, 

 besides the advantage of its keeping the whole 

 year without salt, is whiter, firmer, and to my 

 palate, of a richer flavour, than the best butter I 

 ever tasted made of cows milk. The growth and 

 preparation of this commodity, seem to be amongst 

 the first objects of Ajncan industry, in this and 

 the neighbouring states; and it constitutes a main 

 article of their inland commerce." Park's Travels 

 in Africa^ page 202-3. 



In the following account of the Bassia J3utyra- 

 cea, by Mr. Gott, we find the people of Almorah 

 eat the dregs, left after the finer parts have been 

 extracted ; consequently there can be little doubt 

 of the wholesomeness of the pure "vegetable butter 

 itself. The thick oil of Bassia latifoiia, and longi- 

 Jolia, the natives of various parts of India, either 

 use alone, or mixed with ghee (clarified butter)^ 

 in their diet. 



On Captain Hardm'ickl's departure for Etig- 

 landy in the beginning of 1803, he gave me a 

 small quantity of the above-mentioned substance, 

 observing, that the only account he could give 

 me of it was, that it was reported to him to be a 

 vegetable product from Almorah, or its neighbour- 

 hood, where it is called Fulwah, or Phulwarah. 

 In consequence of th^s information, I applied to 



