TO THE COURT OF AYA. 
219 
is a fruit of which the quality depends greatly 
on the variety which is cultivated. The Bur¬ 
mese seem to practise little selection, and, of 
course, it is with them a very poor and indifferent 
fruit. There is one species of this genus, peculiar 
to Pegu, known to the Mohammedans of the 
country under the name of the Mariam. It is a 
small fruit, about the size and shape of a green¬ 
gage, and is much cultivated and prized by the 
natives, although little palatable to an European. 
The pine-apple is a very indifferent fruit in the 
upper provinces, but in Pegu it grows in great 
perfection, although receiving as little attention 
as if it were a denizen of the forest. In size and 
flavour it is equal to the best raised in this coun¬ 
try, but inferior, in the first respect, to those pro¬ 
duced nearer the equator, such as at Malacca and 
similar places. The name given to it by the 
Burmese, Annat, is the nearest approximation 
which their pronunciation will admit to the origi¬ 
nal one, and points at its foreign origin. The plan¬ 
tain, the papaya-fig, (Carica papaj a,) and the cus¬ 
tard-apple, (Psidium pomiferum ,) being all hardy 
fruits, which require little care, and, indeed, grow 
almost spontaneously, are favourites with the 
Burmese ; but of their kinds they are very indif¬ 
ferent. The durian and mangostin, Durio and 
Garcinia mangostana , are found no farther north 
than Tavoy, in latitude fourteen degrees. Their 
