FRUITS OF THE ISLAND 
of Mascarenne. 
B ananas & Adam's Figs. The tree is called Banana Tree The Banana 
Tree or Fig- 
or Fig-tree of Adam. It dies every year & regener- 
ates itself by its suckers. Thus each Tree only bears once, 
It has leaves of an ell & a half to two ells in length, Adam could 
cover himself, 
rounded below, & a foot & a half to two feet broad. This £j£ 2 i£ 
•with, after 
Tree, wishing to put forth its fruit, throws out a large bud 
or red flower at the end of a single branch, to which that, besides, 
belongs all the fruit which it produces. These Bananas Adam carry the 
A Symbol of our 
are half a foot long, a little less in girth than the wrist of £SS*aSSss 
well mark’d 
a man. About a hundred ordinarily come on one stalk. ° n ent c ois f nd' 
The Figs are smaller although of the same nature & form, from it. 
This fruit is good & sweet. 
Pine Apples, of which I don’t make a particular descrip¬ 
tion. I will only say that it grows from the shoot, like 
Artichokes, & that the shoot is somewhat similar, except¬ 
ing that the leaves are not the same. Each stalk only 
bears one fruit, which is round ; its size one foot & a half 
in circumference or thereabouts, & more than half a foot 
in length. It has the husk or skin red & yellow. The 
fruit is of the best which there’s in the world, so they 
claim at least. It is very soft & sweet. One finds in it 
the taste of the Peach, of the Apricot, of the Melon & 
other good fruits. I have often eaten it in this Island & 
elsewhere. And although I have found this fruit pretty 
