A description of the mangostan and the bread-fruit ... the first, esteemed one of the most delicious, the other, the most useful of all the fruits of the East Indies : To which are added, directions to voyagers, for bringing over these and other vegetable productions, which would be extremely beneficial to the inhabitants of our West India Islands / By John Ellis.

  • Ellis, John, 1710?-1776.
Date:
1775
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A description of the mangostan and the bread-fruit ... the first, esteemed one of the most delicious, the other, the most useful of all the fruits of the East Indies : To which are added, directions to voyagers, for bringing over these and other vegetable productions, which would be extremely beneficial to the inhabitants of our West India Islands / By John Ellis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/72 (page 15)
    CAPTAIN COOK, in his Voyage, obferves, that the Bread¬ fruit grows on a tree that is about the fize of a middling oak : its •leaves are frequently a foot and a half long, of an oblong finape, deeply linuated like thofe of the fig tree, which they refemble in confidence and colour, and in the exuding of a white milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the fize and fhape of a child’s head, and the furface is reticulated not much unlike a truffle: it is covered with a thin fkin, and has a core about as big as the handle of a fmall knife; the eatable part lies between the Ikin and the core.; it is white as fnow, and fomewhat of the confidence of new bread. It mud be roaded before it is eaten, being fird divided into three or four parts; its tade is infipid, with a flight fweet- nefs fomewhat refembling that of the crum of wheaten bread mixed with Jerufalem artichoke. But this fruit not being in feafon at all times of the year, there is a method of fupplying this defed, by reducing it to a four pafle, called Mahie, which is thus defcribed by our author. “ The fruit is gathered jud before it is perfectly ripe, and being laid in heaps, is clofely covered with leaves : in this date it undergoes a fermentation, and becomes difagreeably fweet; the core is then taken out entire, which is done by gently pulling the dalk, and the red of the fruit is thrown into a hole which is dug for that purpofe, generally in the houfes, and neatly lined in the bottom and fides with grafs ; the whole is then covered with leaves, and heavy dones laid upon them. In this date it undergoes a fecond fermentation, and becomes four; after which it will differ no change for many months! It is taken out of the hole as it is wanted for ufe, and being made into balls, it is wrapped up in leaves and baked: after it is drefled, it will keep five or fix weeks. a 2 It