The Memoirs of Bābur 932.11.4

932.11.4

The _anblī_ (H. _imlī_, _Tamarindus indica_, the tamarind) is another. By this name (_anblī_) people call the _khurmā-i-hind_ (Indian date-tree).[1838] It has finely-cut leaves (leaflets), precisely like those of the (T.) _būīā_, except that they are not so finely-cut.[1839] It is a very good-looking tree, giving dense shade. It grows wild in masses too. The (Beng.) _mahuwā_ (_Bassia latifolia_) is another.[1840] People call it also (P.) _gul-chikān_ (or _chigān_, distilling-flower). This also is a very large tree. Most of the wood in the houses of Hindūstānīs [Sidenote: Fol. 283b.] is from it. Spirit (_`araq_) is distilled from its flowers,[1841] not only so, but they are dried and eaten like raisins, and from them thus dried, spirit is also extracted. The dried flowers taste just like _kishmish_;[1842] they have an ill-flavour. The flowers are not bad in their natural state[1843]; they are eatable. The _mahuwā_ grows wild also. Its fruit is tasteless, has rather a large seed with a thin husk, and from this seed, again,[1844] oil is extracted. The mimusops (Sans. _khirnī_, _Mimusops kauki_) is another. Its tree, though not very large, is not small. The fruit is yellow and thinner than the red jujube (T. _chīkdā_, _Elæagnus angustifolia_). It has just the grape's flavour, but a rather bad after-taste; it is not bad, however, and is eatable. The husk of its stone is thin.