287 
nearest port for shipment. ‘The same material is woven into coarse 
saddle-cloths for pack mules, or used in a loose pad for the same anb 
e fresh banana leaves are used to shade young coffee o seed- 
lings in nursery beds, and to cover the eacao beans during the process of 
fermentation. The midribs = often placed in the syrup of Muscovado 
sugar when first poured into casks to assist to drain the molasses. 
The young leaves before diey open are beautifully smooth and soft, 
and are used as a dressing for blisters ; while the juice, accordin 
to Barham, “is good against burn.” water from the soft trunk 
is astringent and employed to a diarrhea, ‘The juice from the skin 
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[probably a veteri which te from a bunch of bananas hung up in 
the shade to ripen makes a very good vinegar. Hughes (Barbados, 
p. 182 inentiotis that “ the pulpy stem of bananas are often sliced and 
given by way of fodder to cattle. 
The inner undeveloped leaves, when quite white and tender, as well 
as the flower or scape buds, are not infrequently eaten in the East Indies. 
Kurz states that these miniature portions of the plantain (probably 
from wild plants) are brought into the Calcutta sm to the amount 
of half a ton daily. They are known as thor and are prepared for food 
by boiling. Firminger possi y rhi: to something similar when he 
states that “ The head of the flowers of a variety of plantain known as 
Kuntela in the neighbourhood of Calcutta before the recs in which 
they are enclosed - “expands, is often cut off, being esteemed a most 
delicate vegetable.” This use Lies not appear to oot extended to 
tropical America, or at least we have met no record of it, probably on 
account of the absence there of wild plants in the abundance found in 
the East, In other parts of India also the young fl ower-heads are 
cooked and eaten in curries. P use of these portions of the plantain 
stems for food is similar to ra in many parts of the world of the 
af buds (or the ibt] 6 many palms. ‘There is, however, a 
curious species of Mus Shay noticed from New Caledonia (possibly 
altered by cultivation) describoa by Vieillard under the nam M. 
oleracea, It produces inflorescence and is cultivated on dicii of 
its fleshy and desin esd fx which are cooked and eaten. It is 
multiplied entirely by offsets. The infant spadix or seape of the 
Abyssinian plantain (M. Ensete) is also use ed as a vegetable. The 
young stem is first of all deprived of all its external envelopes and is 
then cooked and eaten. ‘ Prepared in this way, it resembles the cab- 
bage of a palm.” The plant is of great importance for food purposes as 
a vegetable in the gis valleys of Abyssinia, notably in the Soudan. It 
extends also up the Nile Valley almost to the equator. The fruit, as 
already mentioned, is usually regarded as not edible. 
Johnston, however, i in his Kilima-njaro Expedition met with a singular 
use of the seeds of the Ensete. He remarks that in the inside of the 
seeds is a friable white pith easily rubbed into a white powder by the 
natives. * When in this state it is used for divinations and augury by 
being blown from the hand.” He speaks of the very scanty pulp 
found in the fruit in a fresh state as “ just eatable.” It is “faintly 
sweet, but leaves a somewhat acrid taste in the mouth." Later on he 
sies also among the natives rd the ] yassa rev "The black 
irregular-shaped glossy seeds, according to Ca ptain Speke, are strung into 
necklaces, charms, and tiaras by dié Sitara, and goats are fed on the 
