226 



CAOUTCHOUC. 



aloes it is the popular cathartic, and it is rubbed 

 upon the skin to soften the muscles, with an 

 effect which I leave to the nasal imagination. 



Cinnamon and nutmeg trees were planted by 

 the late Sayyid, and flourished well on some 

 soils. The latter takes nine years, it is said, 

 before bearing fruit, and gives trouble — two 

 fatal objections in Arabs' eyes. The spice is 

 now imported from India. When at Kazan of 

 Unyamwezi I saw specimens brought, it is said, 

 from the Highlands of Karagwah, but the plen- 

 tiful supply from the farther East would pre- 

 vent this trade being here developed. The cacao 

 shrub (chocolate), which thrives so well at Prince's 

 Island and Fernando Po in the Biafran Bight, 

 has never, I believe, been tried in Zanzibar. 



The Mpira, or caoutchouc tree, flourishes in 

 the Island, and on the adjacent Continent. The 

 people of Eastern Madagascar tap it in the cold 

 season, and have sent large cargoes to America. 

 Mr Macmillan, U. S. Consul, Zanzibar, offered 

 $1000 for good specimens, but the Wasawahili 

 would not take the trouble to make a few incisions. 

 I heard of two varieties, a ficus and a lliana ; 

 there are probably many more : about the 

 Gaboon river the valuable gum is the produce 

 of a vine or climber, with an edible fruit, and 



