11 



shortest passage was then six weeks. This greatly 

 lessened their price, and rendered them more com- 

 mon. They were sold at fruit-stands in the London 

 streets, in one or two places, during the summer 

 months ; and moderate-sized fruit were to be had from 

 half-a-crown to a crown each ; or at two shillings a 

 pound. 



The first importation to London was of 400 Green 

 Providence pines from the Bermudas, which were 

 purchased by Mr. Mart, fruiterer, in Oxford street. 



The annual importation of this fruit from the West 

 Indies, and as it is said from Nassau, in New Provi- 

 dence, has increased to many thousands, and they, 

 during the season, crowd the fruiterers' stalls, 

 fetching from Is. to 6s. each. They are small, and 

 mostly ill-grown, many not weighing more than hall 

 a pound, and none that we have seen exceeding two 

 pounds. Some are in good condition, but many are 

 rotten, and must have heated on the passage. To 

 what variety they belong it is impossible to say, as 

 they are quite unlike the specimens that ripen in this 

 country. It is, however, not improbable that they 

 are small Providences. (Gard. Chron. 1843, 575.) 



In consequence of the success attending the impor- 

 tation of pine apples from the Bahamas in 1844, 

 upwards of 10,000 additional acres were set apart for 

 their cultivation at New Providence, and about an 

 equal quantity at the small Island of Eleuthera in 



