(An extract from Schomburgk’s expedition to the interior. The work was translated from German by Walter E. Roth, Stipendiary Magistrate of the Demerara River District and author of several scholarly works,. In 1920)
228. Plantains arc also propagated by suckers because as -with the sugar-cane, the seed does not arrive at complete germination. Within ten or eleven months, the young sucker already bears fruit, of which individual bunches frequently weigh from 60 to 70 pounds, and I have been informed of a number of cases where one acre has yielded 30,000 lbs of plantains. As every stalk only bears once, this is cut down at the same time as the crop, so the whole of the sap in the root-stock may supply the young suckers of which from three to four are left.
229. The cultivation of the plantain requires but little care. The weeding of the field once or twice, and the cutting down of the trunk with its ripe fruit is all the work required. The Banana (Musa sapientum) is less frequently cultivated and generally eaten only when ripe: it also requires from 9 to 10 months to ripen, but then easily becomes rotten unless the individual fruit is cut off and dried in the sun or oven. The stem of the banana is shorter and more compact than that of the plantain, just as the fruit also at maturity can be distinguished from that of the latter by its brownish red colouring and more compact growth. Amongst other varieties there is distinguished above all others in virtue of their vigorous growth the Musa Cavendishii Paxton and M. chinensis Sweet, a dwarfed variety.
230. For some years past an extremely peculiar disease has introduced itself in the Musa plantations: this has become particularly dangerous owing to its having proved so infective that if one shaft is attacked the whole plantation follows suit and perishes. Unfortunately one has not yet found any remedy for this “Worm” disease as the Colonists call it.
231. When the tree is attacked its outward appearance immediately shows it and the whole plantation has to he cut down to prevent the further spread to others. The disease itself starts from the innermost vascular bundles which take on a brownish colour intermixed with a number of black spots. This decomposition of the sap soon extends to the whole shaft. The growth of the plant as well as that of the fruit is arrested and a resinous exudation renders the latter absolutely uneatable. If the same piece of land is going to be replanted, suckers from a healthy plant must be used, because experience has taught that even the suckers contain the diseased material of the mother-plant. Unfortunately my stay was too short to make myself absolutely certain of the real cause: in my opinion the whole phenomenon comes about through a parasitic mould, which has its origin in the altered chemical relations of the soil consequent on the existing state of cultivation. Ten years ago the pest was completely unknown, but at the present time has gained such strides that it becomes the serious duty of the proprietors to have enquiry made into its origin on scientific lines.
232. As the owners of the larger estates reside for the most part in England, their control is almost always placed in the hands of a Manager who has to direct the whole cultivation as well as transact all outside and inside business. Associated with him are the Overseers who are employed in greater or lesser number according to the size of the property, and fairly correspond with our German Verwalter for they are generally young men who want to learn the thorough groundwork of Estate Cultivation and Management. Next to these are the Headsmen (Drivers) chosen from the most diligent labourers, under whose direct supervision the out-door and in-door work is carried on. An estate often has from six to eight such Drivers. Owing to the well-known indolence of the negro the field-work is let out by piece work : those employed in the boiling houses and farm buildings receive a daily wage because they are not engaged there permanently until they can prove their ability after long experience. Every labourer who works upon an estate receives free quarters, free medical treatment and medicine, and, according to the number of his family a fixed piece of land for cultivating what is required by his own household, or else a fixed quantity of plantains weekly.
If the plantation is at all extensive, the proprietor is bound to keep, at his own expense, a school-teacher for the labourer’s children. If on the other hand the properties are small, a joint teacher is usually engaged by three or four neighbouring ones, just as several estates have a common preacher and a common church. Briefly put, the above is probably what was most worth knowing among the things I noted during my stay on the Zeelandia Sugar Estate.
233. In the charming and bountiful fruit-gardens the beautiful bread-fruit trees (Artocarpus incisa and A. integrifolia) particularly attracted my attention, and I do not consider it out of place here to supply a short sketch of its introduction from Asia and Islands of the Pacific to the West Indies. Although Captain Dampier had already in 1688 brought to Europe the first reports concerning this tree, the information nevertheless passed unnoticed until Captain Cook’s companion, the celebrated Dr. Solander, revived it in glowing terms. The idea of obtaining bread without any toil as Nature’s spontaneous gift sufficed to secure its general attention: subsequently it even inspired a Byron. Petitions were soon despatched from the West Indian Colonies to George III praying that the tree should be introduced at the cost of the State into all the Colonies the climate of which allowed of its cultivation.
234. Under Bligh, at that time Lieutenant, who had accompanied Captain Cook on his last expedition, the “Bounty”, a Government ship of 215 tons burden, was put into commission to obtain young plants from Otaheiti. An ample space supplied with large hatchways and draughts was wholly set apart between decks for their reception and was at the same time packed with a number of large cases having double bottoms: the plants were to be placed in these while the superfluous water was to run oil off the lower spaces, the roots being thus protected from stagnation.
The ship managed to start on her journey to the Society Islands by the end of 1787. At Cape Horn contrary winds forced Lieutenant Bligh to make for the Cape of Good Hope, and sail to the Islands via Australia: he finally reached them on 10th October, 1788. By 3rd April, 1789, 1,015 living plants had been set in the beds
prepared for them on board ship, and next day the Bounty weighed anchor and turned for home.
235. On the 28th April however a mutiny that had already been hatched by the crew at Otaheiti broke out, Lieutenant Bligh was set upon in his sleep and gagged, and any one not wishing to join the mutineers ordered to stand alongside him. Of the forty-six forming the crew eighteen remained loyal, thirteen of whom, together with Lieutenant Bligh, were then forced to step in to the long-boat that was lowered into the water, four of them being kept back without any reason being offered. Lieutenant Bligh says in his account of the mutiny, “People will ask me, what was the motive for this deed? I can but find the one and only reason that the mutineers probably flattered themselves that amongst the natives of Otaheiti they would spend a happier life than in England.”
236. After supplying these fourteen outcasts with 150 lbs bread, a few planks, some wine and rum, a quadrant and ship’s compass, the vessel turned about and left them to their fate. Inflexible and courageous the outcasts started on their voyage and fortunately reached Tofoa, one of the Friendly Islands, but the hostility of the natives induced them to put quickly to sea again. They soon made New Holland whence they turned to the Eastern Archipelago and after inexpressible hardships landed at the Island of Timor. The Dutch Governor rendered every assistance and arranged for both Bligh’s and his companions’ passage to England, where he was straightway gazetted Captain and Comman-der of the Royal ship “Providence” which was put into commission again with the utmost despatch to repeat the voyage.
237. She sailed the 3rd August 1791 in company with the “Assistant”: both ships reached Otaheiti safely on 9th April 1792 and by 17th July 1792 tubs and barrels were brought on board with healthy plants: the vessel left the Island and after many a danger arrived on 2nd October at Couzang between New Holland and New Guinea, where the plants that had died on the voyage so far were replaced by new specimens, and on 17th December* she dropped anchor at St. Helena, where Captain Bligh took on board some other kinds of fruit-trees, amongst them the Akee (Blighia sapida).
238. On 23rd January 1793 he got to St. Vincent where he left 333 bread and 211 other fruit-trees, taking in exchange about 500 tropical plants for the Botanical Gardens at Kew. From St. Vincent he made for Jamaica where he delivered 347 bread-trees and 276 other fruits. He also took the new plants to Grand Cayman and other Islands, and finally landed in England on 2nd August 1793.
239. In spite of all the trouble and risks taken, in introducing the bread-fruit, subsequent events showed that the encouraging and confident hopes centred on its cultivation were not to be fulfilled at all. The plantain and banana have neither been replaced nor superseded, because it is only in cases of extreme necessity that the negroes turn to bread-fruit as an article of food.
