CHAP. XXV.] 



TROPICAL FRUITS. 



pulp baa hai'^ened ; it is tlien more abundant, dear, and 

 rcfresbing^ and the tbin coating of gelatinous pulp is 

 tbouglit a great ]uxu^)^ Tlie water of ' full-gi-o^^ii cocoa- 

 nuts is always tlirown away as nndrinkable, although it 

 is debcions in comparison with tliat of the old dry nuts 

 which alone we obtain in tliis coitntry. The cocoa-nut 

 pulp I did not like at fii"st ; but fruits are so scarce, except 

 at particuhar seasons, that one soon learns appreciate 

 anjthing of a fruity nature. 



Many persons in Europe are under the impression that 

 fruits of delicious flavour abound in the tropical forests, 

 and they will no doubt be surprised to learn that the 

 truly wild fi-uits of this grand and luxuriant archipelago, 

 the vegetation of which wHl vie with that of any part of 

 the world, are in almost every island inferior in abundance 

 and quality to those of Britain. Wild strawbeiTies and 

 raspberries are found in some places, but they are such 

 poor tasteless things as to be hardly worth eating, and 

 there is nothing to compare witli our blackberries and 

 whortlebemes. The kanaiy-nut may be considered equal 

 to a hazel-nut, but I have met va\h nothing else superior 

 to our crabs, our haws, beech-nuts, wild plums, and 

 acorns ; fruits which would be highly esteemed by tlie 

 natives of these islands, and would form an important 

 part of their sustenance. All the line tropical fi-uits are 

 as much cultivated productions as our apples, peaches, 

 and plums, and their wild prototypes, when found, ore 

 genemUy either tasteless or xineatable. 



The people of Matabello, like those of most of the 

 Mahomet^in villages of East Ceram and Goram, amused 

 me much by their strange ideas concerning the liussian 

 war. Iliey believe that the Russians were not only most 

 thoroughly beaten by the Turks, but were absolutely con- 

 quered, and all converted to Islaraism ! And they can 

 hardly be convinced that such is not the case, and that had 

 it not been for the assistance of France and England, the 

 poor Sultan would have fared HL Another of their 

 notions is, that the Turks are the largest and strongest 

 people in the wt>rld— in lact a nice of giants ; that tliey eat 

 enormous quantitiei? of moat, and are a most ferocious 

 and in-eaistible nation. "Wlience such strangely incorrect 



B B 



