228 



FRUITS. 



tried, and, resembling that of the Somali country, 

 it gives good colour. This lichen chooses the 

 forks of trees in every lagoon. In the Consular 

 report by Lieutenant- Colonel Playfair on the 

 trade of Zanzibar for the year 1863, I find — 

 6 Orchilla is obtained from the more arid parts of 

 the coast to the north : none grows on the 

 Island.' 



The people of Zanzibar are fond of fruits, 

 especially the mango, the orange, the banana, 

 and the pine-apple. All of these, however, ex- 

 cept the plantain — the bread-fruit of Africa — 

 are seedlings, and engrafting is not practised. 

 Wall-fruit is of course unknown. 



The mango, originally imported from India, 

 and as yet implanted in the central regions, is of 

 many varieties, which lack, however, distinguish- 

 ing names. Two kinds are common — a large 

 green fruit like the Alphonse (AfFonso) of West- 

 ern India, and a longer pome, with bright red- 

 yellow skin, resembling the Goanese 6 Kola.' 

 These, with care, might rival the famous produce 

 of Bombay: even in their half-wild state the 

 flavour of turpentine is hardly perceptible. 

 The fruit is said to be heating, and to cause 

 boils. The Arabs spoil its taste by using steel 

 knives : with the unripe fruit they make, how- 



