EDIBLE FRUITS 187 



various kinds. From time to time the Paw-paw 

 {Carica papaya) makes its appearance in the 

 villages, whilst pine-apples and, rarely, oranges 

 and lemons occur in some of the centres established 

 near the older Portuguese settlements. Near the 

 coast a very striking growth is the Cashew 

 {Anacardium occidentale) naturalised from India, 

 as also the Mango {Mangifera indica). They fruit 

 about the end of the year, and, from the former, 

 both fermented and distilled beverages of an 

 extremely intoxicating character are obtained. In 

 the Mozambique district the natives are for weeks 

 on end almost unobtainable for labour at this time 

 of year, passing their time in the most abandoned 

 drunkenness. 



When one comes to reflect upon the large 

 number of the foregoing native necessaries, which 

 are now known to have been introduced from the 

 Nile, from Southern Asia, Arabia, Portugal, and 

 even America, in comparatively recent times, one's 

 mind loses itself in futile speculation as to what 

 the unfortunate negro found to live upon before 

 all these things were obligingly brought to him. 

 We have seen from the ancient works of the 

 earliest observers, that on their arrival in Africa 

 a large number of the tribes— including all the 

 warlike ones — were addicted to the horrible practice 

 of cannibalism, and I think we may regard our- 

 selves as to some extent furnished with an 

 explanation of the conditions from which this 

 unimaginable practice sprang. The wretched 

 people had not sufficient food. By this I do not 

 mean that the prehistoric Ethiopian subsisted in 



