KARAGUE, 
155 
The country of Karague rarely affords space flat 
enough for a single tent to be pitched, but there are 
thousands of acres now in grass which are perfectly 
capable of profitable cultivation. Captain Maury, of 
the United States navy, at the British Association 
meeting in 1863, stated his opinion that this region, 
from its equatorial position and moist atmosphere, 
would make an excellent coffee-growing country ; and 
as many parts resemble portions of the Himalayas, 
where tea is grown, and there are no frosts at Karague, 
I think it is admirably adapted for the culture of 
tea as well as coffee. Wild grapes were occasionally 
gathered in the lower grounds, but no beds of gravel 
similar to those at home or on the Continent, where 
the vine flourishes in such luxuriance, are to be seen. 
A few clumps of wild date-trees grow in the valleys, but 
the natives are ignorant of the sexes of the trees, and 
never have any fruit. Sugar-cane is seldom or never 
grown. There are two heavy crops in the year — sor- 
ghum and plantain ; while pease (English garden), a 
species of bean or calavance, called "maharageh," Indian 
corn, &c, are grown at other seasons. All these we saw 
ripe or ripening, and fresh shoots of plantain were being 
set, while other fields were prepared for the heavier crop 
of red sorghum, sown in March. Then squads of men 
and women assemble, probably only one-fifth working 
at a time, the rest standing, lounging, and laughing. 
The men, with a hook having a three-feet-long handle, 
slash down the weeds, women hoe them up, collect the 
stones, clear the ground, and give it the tidy appear- 
ance of a garden. In February great care is bestowed 
upon the plantain, which affords one of the staples of 
life in this country throughout the year. Acres of 
