156 



Kingston, 12th Sept., 1901. 



Dear Mr. Vendryes, 



I have youi letter of the 10th instant asking me for some informa- 

 tion respecting the introduction into this Island of the Martinique 

 Banana. 



You are quite right in stating that it was my grandfather (whose 

 name was John Frangois Pouyat) who brought that fruit from the 

 Island of Martinique, he did so in the early thirties of the last cen- 

 tury. 



John Frangois Pouyat was born in 1780 at Limoges in France and 

 his profession was that of a Botanist and Chemist. He went to 

 Philadelphia (U.S.A.) where he had relatives (the D'Espinoses) about 

 1804 to 1806 and entered into business there as a Chemist — his first 

 visit to Jamaica was in 1808-1809, to ask for the hand of a Madle. 

 Lubin, the daughter of Louis Lubin a refugee from San Domingo 

 who came to Jamaica about 1796-97 — he Lubin became naturalized 

 and bought a Coffee property called " Belle Air" in St. Andrew. On 

 my grandfather's marriage with Madle. Lubin he went back to Phila- 

 delphia and remained there for some years returning to this Island 

 about 1820 with his wife and children. After the death of Louis 

 Lubin my grandfather acquired "Belle Air" through his wife, she 

 being the sole surviving child and heiress of Louis Lubin. In the 

 early thirties he went to Martinique (for what purpose I am unable 

 to find out) and on his return, besides other plants, he brought the 

 Martinique or Ban ana- Pouyat, a plantain called the " Tiger Plan- 

 tain" on account of its black spotted appearance, (this plantain is still 

 to be found in some parts of St. Andrew), and another Banana of a 

 small size with a thin pale yellow skin and of a luscious flavour, this 

 last it seems has entirely disappeared. 



The first Martinique Banana was planted at "Belle Air" and the 

 first bunch of Bananas was sent to the then Agricultural Society who 

 awarded a prize of a doubloon to my grandfather for introducing it 

 into the Island. 



My grandfather died in 1857. I remember him distinctly as I was 

 then 13 or 14 years of age. He had often told me that it was he who 

 brought the Martinique banana to Jamaica. 



My mother who is alive and is 76 years old — and who married in 

 1843, my father Henri Pouyat, (the youngest son of Jean Frangois 

 Pouyat,) remembers also to have heard my grandfather say that it 

 was he who brought over our Banana (of commerce) from Martinique. 



I am unable to state whether he occupied any official position in 

 France, America or any of the French Islands but in Jamaica he held 

 no such position,. 



I am, 



With kind regards, 

 Yours truly, 



(Sgd.) Hy. F. Pouyat. 



