274 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



made into a sour paste, called make in the islands, which is 

 eaten during the unproductive season. The planting of the 

 seedless variety is now saved, as the creeping roots send up 

 suckers which soon grow to trees. When the fruit is roast- 

 ed till the outside is charred, the pulp has a consistency not 

 very unlike that of wheaten bread; and the taste is inter- 

 mediate between that of bread and roasted chesnuts. It is 

 said to be very nourishing, and is prepared in various ways. 



The timber of the bread-fruit, though soft, is found use- 

 ful in the construction of houses and boats; the male flowers, 

 dried, serve for tinder; the juice answers for bird-lime and 

 glue; the leaves for packing and for towels; and the inner 

 bark, beaten together, makes one species of the South Sea 

 cloth. 



The earliest account of the bread-fruit is by Captain 

 Dampier, in 1688. "The bread-fruit," says this naviga- 

 tor, "grows on a large tree, as big and high as our largest 

 apple trees; it hath a spreading head, full branches, and 

 dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like appkf 't 

 is as big as a penny loaf, when wheat is at five shillingr; the 

 bushel; it is of a round shape, and hath a thick tough rind. 

 When the fruit is ripe, it is yellow and soft, and the taste is 

 sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. 

 They gather it when full grown, while it is green and Jiard; 

 they then bake it in an oven which scorcheth the rind, and 

 maketh it black; but they scrape of the outside black crust, 

 and there remains a tender thin crust; and the inside is soft, 

 tender, and white, like the crumb of a penny loaf. There 

 is 7ieither seed nor stone in the inside, but all of a pure sub- 

 stance like bread. It must be eaten new, for, if it be kept 

 above twenty-four hours, it grows harsh and choky, but it 

 is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in 

 season eight months in the year, during which the natives 

 eat no other sort of bread kind. I did never see of this 

 fruit any where but here. The natives told us, that tliere 

 is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone 

 Islands; and I did never hear of it anywhere else." 



The scientific men who accompanied Captain Cook in his 

 voyages, came home with the most enthusiastic ideas of 

 the bread-fruit. Dr. Solandcr calls it " the most useful 

 vegetable in the world," and urges that no expense should 

 be spared in its cultivation. The mere idea of bread, the 

 most valuable food of man, growing spontaneously, was 

 doubtless calculated to excite attention — almost, perhaps, as 

 strongly as the subsequent description of the poet: — 



" The bread-tree, which, without tlie plougsliare, yields 



The unroap'd harvest of unfurrow'd fields, 



And bakes its unadulterated loaves 



Without a furnace in unpurchased groves, 



And flings off famine from its fertile breast, 



A priceless market for the gathering guest." Byron, 



A tree, of the value and easy culture of which so very 

 encouraging accounts were given, could not but attract the 

 notice of the public generally, and more especially of those 

 colonists of Great Britain who lived in a climate warm 

 enough for its cultivation. An application to be furnished 

 with plants of the bread-fruit tree was accordingly made to 

 his late Majesty by the planters and others interested in the 

 West Indies, and it met with a favourable reception. The 

 Bounty, a vessel of about two hundred and fifteen tons 

 burthen, was fitted up for a voyage to Otaheite. Lieute- 

 nant (afterwards Admiral) Bligh, who had accompanied 

 Cook on his last voyage, and shown himself an officer of 

 great talents, enterprise, and bravery, was appointed to 

 the command. In addition to tlie crew of the vessel, two 

 men were appointed at the recommendation of Sir Joseph 

 Banks, to take immediate charge of the procuring, shipping, 

 and tending of the plants. 



The Bounty was skilfully fitted up for her intended pur- 

 pose. A large cabin between decks, in midships, was 

 prepared for the reception of the plants. This had two 

 large skylights on the top for liglit; three scuttles on each 

 side for ventilation of air, and a double bottom; an upper 

 one of timber on which to place the pots and tubs contain- 

 ing the plants, which was drilled full of holes to allow es- 

 cape to the superfluous water which might have injured 

 them by stagnation — and a leaden one upon the lower deck, 

 in which the water that ran through the other was collected, 

 and from which it was conducted by a leaden pipe at each 

 corner, into casks below for future use. 



Thus prepared, the vessel put to sea about the middle of 

 November, 1787, but was beat about and baffled by contrary 

 winds, so that the voyage was not commenced till the 23d 

 of December. The instructions given to Lieutenant Bligh 

 were full and explicit. He was to resort to those places in 

 the Society Isles where Captain Cook had stated that the 

 bread-fruit tree was to be found in the greatest luxuriance, 

 and there procure as many plants as the vessel could carry; 

 after which he was to proceed with them to the West Indies 

 with all possible expedition. 



The commander sailed first for Teneriffe, and thence for 

 the South of America, intending to enter the Pacific by the 

 passage of Cape Horn. But the storms of that inhospitable 

 region beat him back; and he was forced to bear away for 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and reach the Society Islands on 

 the side of New Holland. This voyage, which had occu- 

 pied ten months terminated on the 25th October, by the 

 arrival of the Bounty at Otaheite. 



No time was lost in putting the instructions into execution. 

 The young shoots that sprung from the lateral roots of 

 the bread-fruit trees were taken up, with balls of earth, 

 where the soil was moist; and this operation was continued 



