MANGOSTEEN. A far-famed fruit, • is the product of a middling-sized and beautiful tree, the garcinia mangostana, and was originally brought from the Mo lueca islands, but is now cultivated in many parts of the East Indies. It is, on all hands, admitted to be the most de licious, as well as the most wholesome, of all known fruits ; it requires the same treatment as the mango. To these may be added the jambosteen, rambosteen, and &elm ; they are natives of the Orien tal Archipelago, and, when obtained, might be cultivated along with the pre cedimr in the Southern States.
MANIIIOT.—Two kinds are cultivat ed in the W. Indies, the sweet cascade of Browne's Jamaica, and Manihot Aipi, whose root is of a white color, and free from deleterious qualities. The bitter eassada, or manioc has a yellowish root, and abounds in a poisonous juice. By various processes, by bruising between stones, by a coarse rasp, or by a mill, the root of the manioc is broken into small pieces, then put into a sack, and subject ed to a heavy pressure, by which all the juice is expressed. What remains is cas sava, or cassada, which, if properly dried, is capable of being preserved for a great length of time. In French Guiana, ac cording to Aublet, cassava flour is made by toasting the grated root over the fire, in which state, if kept from humidity, it will continue good for 20 years. Cassava cake, or cassava-root, is the meal, or the grated, expressed, and dried root of the manioc, pounded in a mortar, passed through a coarse sieve, and baked on flat circular iron plates, fixed in a stove. The particles of meal are united by the heat ; and, when thoroughly baked in this manner, from cakes, which are sold at the markets, and universally esteemed as wholesome kind of bread. The Spaniards,
when they first discovered the West In dies, found this in general use among the native Indians, who called it eazabbi, and by whom it was preferred to every other kind of bread, on account of its easy digestion, the facility with which it was cultivated, and its prodigious in crease. Again, in Guiana, cipipa is an other preparation from this plant, and is the name given to a very line and white feenla, which, according to Aublet, is de rived from the expressed juice of the roots, which is decanted off, and suffered to rest for some time, when it deposits an amylaccous substance, which requires repeated washing.
'The root of the manioc is also the basis of several kinds of fermented liquors; and an excellent condiment for seasoning meats, called cabion or ca ion, is prepar ed from the juice, and said to sharpen the appetite. The leaves, beaten and boiled, are eaten after the manner of spinach ; and the fresh root is employed in healing ulcers. The expression of the juice from the root deprives the latter of all its de leterious properties • and that the appli cation of heat to these juices renders their residue also wholesome and nou rishing. And whilst cassava-bread is, as Sloane in the most general demand of any provision all over the West Indies, and is employed to victual ships, the use of tapioca is still more extended, and throughout Europe is employed for the same purposes as sago and arrow-root.