wee 
TN 
208 Fruits of Cuba. 
in which the American fortune-tellers pretended they 
saw spirits, who gave answers to whatever questions 
were put to them by their ignorant followers." Th 
nut is sweet, but care must be taken that none of this 
caustic oil is eaten with it. 
The fruit, if it may be called so, appears between the 
nut and the footstalk, and is considered indeed by some 
botanists, as only the stalk enlarged. When full grown, 
it is two or three inches in length, and shaped like a 
pear, or, more exactly, like our green pepper. I have 
seen some of a bright yellow, others of a deep red, or 
mahogany color, and others striped with the two colors. 
Tinted in this gay manner, and having a dark looking 
nut hanging at its end, it presents a singular as well as 
pretty appearance. The pulp is of a spongy consist- 
ence, tough and fibrous, but charged with a lively 
juice, powerfully astringent, and of a peculiar flavor. 
The negroes are said to like it, and it is esteemed 
healthy. Grainger calls it, in his poem, , 
c 
“ Thrice wholesome fruit in this relaxing clime." 
It may be thrice wholesome, but for my own part, I 
did not care to taste it twice. Once was enough ; for 
it drew up my mouth, so that I could hardly open. it 
again. Jefferys, in his History of the Antilles, says; 
“ If you attempt to eat this fruit raw, it fetches the skim 
off the mouth ; for which reason; before it is served up 
at table, it is macerated in wine, or its acrimony Cor- 
rected with salt." As I was unacquainted with this 
mystery when in Cuba, I could not test its truth or effi- 
cacy. The juice also has the inconvenient property of 
staining every thing which it drops upon. Considering, 
i: 
