Page 391
An. 1687
Mangoes. Achar of feveral forts.
ufed it both ways, and found it to be very fervice- able. The way that they get this juice, is by cut- ting a great gap horizontally in the body of the Tree half through, and about a foot from the ground: and then cutting the upper part of the body aflope inwardly downward, till in the mid- dle of the Tree it meet with the traverfe cutting, or plain. In this plain horizontal femicircular ftump, they make a hallow like a Bafon that may contain a quart or two. Into this hole the juice which drains from the wounded upper part of the Tree falls: from whence you muft empty it every day. It will run thus for fome months, and then dry away, and the Tree will recover again.
The Fruit-trees that nature hath beftowed on thefe Ifles are Mangoes; and Trees bearing a fort of Grape, and other Trees bearing a kind of wild or baftard Nutmegs. Thefe all grow wild in the Woods, and in very great plenty.
The Mangoes here grow on Trees as big as Ap- ple-trees: Thefe at Fort St. George are not fo large. The fruit of thefe is as big as a fmall Peach; but the long and fmaller towards the top: It is of a yellow- ifh colour when ripe; it is very juicy, and of a pleafant fmell, and delicate tafte. When the Mango is young, they cut them in two pieces, and pickie them with Salt and Vinegar, in which they put fome Cloves of Garlick. This is an excellent fawce, and much efteemed; it is called Mango Achar. Achar, I prefume, fignifies Sawce. They make in the Eaft Indies efpecially at Siam and Pegu, feveral forts of Achar, as of the young tops of Bamboes, &c. Bambo- Achar and Mango-Achar are moft ufed. The Mangoes were ripe when we were there, (as were alfo the reft of thefe Fruits) and they have then fo delicate a fragrancy, that we could fmell them out in the thick Woods if we had but the wind of them, while we were a good way from them and could