276 
FRUITS OF JAVA. 
tainly merits much of the praise that has been lavished upon it. 
It is of a spherical form, of the size of a small orange ; is when 
young, of a reddish green colour ; when ripe, of a reddish brown ; 
and when old, of a chesnut brown colour. Its succulent rind is 
nearly the fourth of an inch in thickness, contains a very powerful 
astringent juice, and in wet weather exudes a yellow gum, which 
is a variety of gamboge.* On removing the rind, its esculent 
substance appears in the form of a juicy pulp, having the whiteness 
and solubility of snow, and a refreshing, delicate, delicious flavour. 
To define it by more precise language is very difficult. We were all 
anxious to carry away with us some precise expression of its quali- 
ties, but after satisfying ourselves that it partook of the compound 
taste of the pine-apple and the peach, we were obliged to confess 
that it had many other equally good, but utterly inexpressible, fla- 
vours. This fruit, from its perfect wholesomeness, may be eaten in 
any quantity ; and as it possesses no luscious qualities, it does not 
soon cloy the palate. The mangostan tree is worthy of the fruit it 
bears. It grows to the size of a very large cherry-tree. Its leaves are 
three or four inches long, of an oval form, of a shining green colour, 
and might be taken for those of a magnolia. Its blossom is a 
spreading corrolla of four petals, of a reddish pink colour, and often 
decorates the plant at the same time with its fruit. Its branches 
are pendant, and, when loaded with fruit, curve in graceful arches 
quite round the stem. As much of the habit of this plant as 
can be expressed by a branch, is beautifully given in the Atlas to 
Mr. Marsden’s History of Sumatra. 
The bazaar afforded in equal profusion with the mangostan, the 
custard apple, rambootan, poolosan, and dorian. The custard apple 
well deserves its name, for its loose pulp enveloping black seeds 
more resembles in flavour a mixture of apple tart and custard, than 
* The gamboge of commerce is derived from a plant, Garcinia Cambogia, of the same 
genus as the Mangostan, Garcinia Mangostana. 
