APPENDIX III. 



499 



been the case then I will not dispute ; but we not only 

 found them well acquainted with money, but as dexterous 

 at over-reaching in a bargain and exorbitant in their 

 demands as any dealer in the bazaar of Bombay. They 

 were, however, as he justly observes, very civil and 

 hospitable, though not so much as he describes ; but this 

 difference was probably owing to the dislike which the 

 Hakim showed to us. Our taking no hand in the slave- 

 trade was remarked to have considerable influence among 

 the generality of the lower people in giving them a 

 favourable impression of our character, and for a contrary 

 reason they never failed to execrate the French, notwith- 

 standing they were favourites of their Hakims. 



The soil of the island is in general light and sandy 

 towards the coast, but a little inland it is found to be a 

 rich black mould, seemingly composed of decayed vegeta- 

 tion, and the numerous springs and periodical rains, with 

 the excellent shelter afforded by the cocoa-nut trees, which 

 everywhere cover the island, all conspire to render it 

 extremely fruitful. JN^othing can exceed the profusion of 

 fruits abounding in every quarter, all of them excellent. 

 Pine-apples of the most delicious sort are growing every- 

 where wild, and heaps of oranges, guavas, &c., for want 

 of consumers, are left to rot on the ground which pro- 

 duced them. The following are the principal fruits and 

 vegetable productions of the island, viz. : pine-apples, 

 guavas, mangoes, lemons, limes, oranges, plantains, ba- 

 nanas, pomegranates (a few imported by the Arabs), 

 cocoa-nuts, and many others, sugar-canes (Note 24), 

 pumpkins, onions, sweet potatoes, and the root of a plant 

 which is called by the natives mahogo (the Farina de pds ^ 

 of the Portuguese). 



* rarinlia de pau, or wood-meal. 



