Otaheitean Mode of 'preparing Arrow-root. 585 



Knight's dwarf marrow, sinks into insignificance. There was 

 never such a pea for the marrow flavour known before, as 

 Knight's marrow. Its faults are, its not being early, and the 

 great difficulty of saving its seed in this climate ; besides, it 

 cannot be prudently sown early, because of its tenderness of 

 stalks. It is, however, of inestimable value, and might do 

 well if raised in a moderate hot-bed, and transplanted as soon 

 as the frosts were over ; or if it were protected with straw 

 ropes, or thick spray pea sticks. Knight's marrow pea is 

 entitled to stand highly prized, from its great delicacy and 

 flavour, and from the difficulty of saving its seed; and Bishop's 

 pea has the same claim, as one of the most productive and 

 early varieties ; but I must observe that Bishop's pea, of all 

 others, is most benefited by a liberal manuring of old hot-bed 

 dung. But though Bishop's pea is so well deserving of praise 

 as an early pea, it has little merit as a late pea, except as to 

 producing plenty of seed. Knight's marrow deserves a high 

 price, for flavour, produce, and difficulty of saving the seed. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 

 Mill Grove, near Whitehaven, Anthony Adamson. 



October 3. 1831. 



Art. XXVIII. An Account of the Otaheitean Method of preparing 

 the Arroto-root. By Andrew Mathews, Esq., of Lima. 



Sir, 



By this I trust you have received my letter of August last, 

 which will inform you of my having crossed the Cordillera 

 of the Andes. Since then, I have learned from Dr. Hooker, 

 that he has published a description of the route by Mr. 

 Cruikshanks ; I shall therefore reserve what I intended to 

 send you on that subject, till I receive Dr. Hooker's publica- 

 tion. In the mean time, I send you an account of the Ota- 

 heitean method of preparing the arrow-root of commerce, as 

 I witnessed it performed in that island ; hoping that it may be 

 the means of attracting the attention of some persons in Great 

 Britain connected with those islands, and be a means of 

 establishing a more direct intercourse with the inhabitants. 



The root ( Tacca pinnatifida Lin., E'ncy, of Plants, p. 256. 

 fig. 4321., the Pea of the natives) grows in the greatest 

 abundance in all the islands which we visited ; viz., in Otaheite, 

 Eimeo, Huaheine, Raiatea, and Otaha. Its favourite situ- 

 ation is on the sides and ridges of the hills which rise directly 

 from the sea, and which are generally covered with a coarse 

 grass, on a red sandy loam. The root is round, white, smooth, 



