Vegetable substances used for the food of man / [Edwin Lankester. Revised and partly rewritten].

  • Edwin Lankester
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Vegetable substances used for the food of man / [Edwin Lankester. Revised and partly rewritten]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    is too slale. This fruit lasts in season ciriltt inonlhs in the year, during which the natives cat no other sort of bread kind. I did never see of this fruit any whore hut here. The natives told us, that there is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone Islands ; and I did never hear of it any\\ here else.” The scientific men who accompanied Captain Cook in his voyages, came home with the most enthusiastic ideas of the bread-fruit. Dr. Solander calls it “ the most useful vegetable in the world,” and urges that no c.a- pense should be spared in its cultivation. The mere idea of breail, the most valuable food of man, growing spon- taneousl}’, was doubtless calculated to c.vcite attention— almost, ])erha])s, as strongly as the subsequent descrip- tion of the poet :— “ The bread-tree, which, wdthont the ploughshare, yields The unreap'd harvest of uufurrow’d fields. And bakes its unadulterated loaves Without a furnace in unpurchased groves. And flings oti'famine from its fertile breast A priceless market for the gathering guest.’’* A tree, of the value and easy culture of w hich so very ■encouraging accounts were given, could not but attract the notice of the jiublic generally, and more especially of those colonists of Great Britain who lived in a climate warm enough for its cultivation. An a|)plica- tion to bo furnished with ])lants of the bread-fruit tree was accordingly made by the planters and others in- terested in tlio West Indies, and it met with a favour- able reception. The Bounty, a vessel of about two hundred and fifteen tons burthen, was fitted up for a voyage to Otaheite. Lieutenant (afterwards Admiral) Bligh, w ho had aceompanied Cook on his last voyage, and show n himself an olliccr of great talents, enterprise, and bravery, was a])])ointed to the command. In addi- tion to the crew of the vessel, two men were appointed, at the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks, to take im- Byron. i
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