Tropical Products. 
3o 
brought onto the market from Newfoundland. A piece of such salt-fish 
and a few roasted or boiled plantains form the ordinary fare of a negro 
or poor mulatto. 
11G. The lively and interesting picture presented in the Meat and 
Fish Market is repeated in a far better frame in the Fruit and Vegetable 
one which is infinitely better supplied, for here the most varied kinds of 
produce of the Tropical, mix with those of the Northern, clime, e.g. cucum- 
ber, beans and spinach. Salad, cabbage and cauliflower are only used 
as so-called lettuce, since the first and second do ndt form a head and the 
last does not produce a flower. Onions succumb to the same wanton over- 
growth, which also leads only to rank leaves: they are therefore im- 
ported in whole ship-loads from Madeira, and yet these are far behind 
those of Europe in pungency, for they can be enjoyed raw, absolutely 
without tears. Our early green peas find their representative in the pods 
of the Cayanus indicns Spr. known under the name of “Pigeon Peas,” 
which at all events surpass those of ours in delicacy of taste. Vegetables 
just as much relished are supplied by the young green seed-vessels of 
Hibiscus esculentus Linn, and the leaves of Phytolacca decandra Linn, 
and Cl co me penta phylla that are used as spinach. Very favourite dishes 
are the roots and young leaves of the Colocasia esculenta Schott 
and the tasty “cabbage-palm" which the beautiful Orcodoxa, Accra olcr- 
area Mart, and Euterpe olcracea Mart, supply. Naturally, quite a mod- 
erate portion of the last dish costs the slim palm its life which has to be 
sacrificed to obtain the edible portion : this consists of a compact cylin- 
drical body in between where the fronds separate from the trunk, and 
when properly prepared is nowise inferior to the finest European vege- 
table and resembles our asparagus in flavour. There are still to be men- 
tioned the roots of the “Arrow-root" (Maranta indica Pose and M. 
ramosissima Wall.), the different species of Capsicum , and Z iuyihcr 
officinale Kose., the huge calabashes, ihe large maize-cobs and cassava 
roots, in addition to huge stacks of coco-nut, so celebrated for its milk 
which however seemed to me so insipid that I thought I was drinking 
nauseously sweet whey. Yams (Dioscorea a lata and D. sativa Linn.), 
Potatoes ( Convolvohis Batatas Linn.), “sweet" Cassava roots ( Janiplia 
Locfflinyii ITumb. Bonp., a non-poisonous species closely allied to Jan- 
ipha Manihot ) which are eaten roasted, overloaded bunches of Plantain 
{Musa- paradisiaca Linn.) and the Bread-Fruit ( Artocarpus incisa and 
A. integri folia- Linn.) constitute, when piled up in big heaps, the most 
motley mixture. As the “Irish" potato, in spite of every attempt, does not 
thrive on account of the climate in conjunction with hard and vigorous 
soil but only gives a 4 to 5 foot high legume, the last mentioned fruits 
and roots might be regarded as its representatives. Tn addition to these 
there still come no end of differently shaped, coloured, and fragrant trop- 
ical fruits, tempting Pine apples and juicy Oranges of all varieties, fruits 
of the Sapodilla* (Achras sapota Linn.), Mango (Mangifera indica, 
Linn.), Passion fruit (Passiflora cdulis , P. quad rangulari-s, P. Jauri- 
sea gratiSsima Gaert,), the Crias cauli flora Linn., Guava (Psidium pyri- 
ferum , and P. pomiferum Linn.). Soursop (Anona muricata Linn.) the 
juice of which provides the loveliest lemonade, Custard Apple (Anona 
* Not in the text. They are the present-day vernacular terms. (Ed.) 
