248 



ARROW-ROOT, ETC. 



other luxurious preparations familiar to Hin- 

 dustan, Egypt, and Turkey. 



Wanga or arrow-root, globular like a variety 

 found in the Concan, is much less nutritious than 

 the long kind. Here the best is brought from 

 Mombasah, and after the rains the southern 

 coast could supply large quantities. The people 

 levigate the root, wash, and sun- dry it : the white 

 powder is then kneaded with Tembii (palm-wine) 

 into small balls, which are boiled in the same 

 liquid. It is e cold ' and astringent : the Arabs 

 use it as a remedy for dysentery, and the Hindus 

 declare that it produces nothing but costiveness. 

 Ginger thrives in the similar formation of 

 Pemba, and yet it will not, I am assured, grow 

 at Zanzibar, where it is imported from Western 

 India, the tea being in this climate a good 

 stomachic. The Calumba or Colombo root is 

 largely exported to adulterate beers and bitters. 

 Curious to say, the ground-nut, which extends 

 from Unyamwezi to the Gambia, is rare at Zan- 

 zibar. 



The corallines of the coast are of course 

 destitute of metals. A story is told of an inge- 

 nious Frenchman who, wishing to become 

 Director of Mines in the service of H. H. the 

 Sayyid, melted down a few dollars, and ran a- 



