weetened and softened, chiefly by the change of the starch into more
or less of soluble sugar. When the bananas are shipped to our Northern
markets they are as green as the leaves of the trees on which they
grew. Most of us have seen cartloads of them in this condition landing
at our city wharves. Placed in an even temperature and in darkness
they will ripen and become as yellow as gold in a very few days.

The banana and plantain differ from each other much as an apple and a
potato differ; the latter should always be cooked before eating, but
the former may be either eaten raw or cooked, according to the taste.
The banana is gathered at three different stages of its growth. At a
quarter of its maturity it is rather milky, and contains much starch.
Roasted in ashes, or boiled in water, it forms a very nourishing food,
and is a good substitute for bread. If eaten at three fourths of its
growth it is less nourishing, but contains more sugar. Lastly, when
perfectly ripe, it develops an acrid principle, both wholesome and
palatable. The fig banana is a favorite species, and forms a universal
dessert in the ripe state with the Creoles. A frequent reference is
made to it in these notes because of its importance. The enormous
productiveness of the plant and its nutritious character assure to the
humble classes an abundant subsistence. People may go freely into the
wild lands and find edible bananas at any time, without money and
without price. In the cities the charge for them is so moderate that a
person must be poor indeed who cannot afford a liberal quantity of
them daily.

Some of the other fruits are the mango, pomegranate, pineapple,
zapota, tamarind, citron, fig, cocoa, lemon, rose-apple, and
breadfruit. Japan, India, and Ceylon afford nothing more fascinating
or strange in their vegetable kingdoms than this favored isle. The
fruits are simply wonderful in variety and perfection. One eats eggs,
custard, and butter off the trees. Though all these fruits are
universally eaten, the orange seems to be the Creole's favorite, and
if he be a person of even ordinary means, he seldom rises in the
morning until he has drunk his cup of coffee and eaten a couple of
oranges, brought fresh and prepared for him by a servant. The practice
is one into which the visitor falls very pleasantly, and finds it no
less refreshing than agreeable. It seems to rain oranges in Havana.
They are scarcely less cheap than the luscious banana.

The