198 
FRUITS AND FOOD. 
found full of sacks containing very large berries of it. 
The sacks were remarkably stout and well made — 
somewhat similar to Calcutta rice-bags. Two fruits, 
new to us, were seen growing — one, the colour and 
size of the Indian loquat, with several stones, but grow- 
ing on a lofty tree with sombre foliage and densely-close 
branches. The other was an underground scarlet fruit, 
growing in sets of five and six clustered together like 
bananas, and of the same size. After being peeled, 
the pulp, with numerous black seeds, tasted refresh- 
ing as a lime, and was much enjoyed by the Waganda, 
who carried them strung as necklaces. The stalk of 
this plant (an amomum) grows four feet high from a 
creeping knotted root, like that of many grasses ; and 
the scarlet fruit does not show above ground till ripe, 
when it forces up the soil like a mole. 
Food was abundant, plantain particularly so, and 
might be had by the king's guests for the mere pulling ; 
but if fowls, goats, or animal food was required, the na- 
tives charged almost London prices, preferring cowries, 
which we had none of, to beads. In the houses differ- 
ent grains were slung, in plantain-leaf coverings, from 
the posts which support the roofing. The staple food 
of the people is green plantain, a particular variety, 
boiled, when the peel comes off freely, and eaten like 
mashed potato. A piece of meat boiled with them 
made both very savoury, but plantain alone is not 
satisfying to a European. The various uses made of 
this tree surprised us. A chip from the bark was so 
watery that the hands could be well washed with it, 
but it was said to crack the skin : thread, wrappers, 
and stripes like ribbons were taken from the trunks, 
and the leaves were made into screen-fences, Sec. 
