234 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 
unless artificially manured, and in such places renewals of oid groves are unprofita- 
ble unless there is plenty of vacant space and the planter is prepared to devote several 
years to improvement of the soil. ¢ 
The first accurate description of the coconut was published by Dampier, from 
observations made by him in Guam in 1686. At the time of the discovery of the 
island, Magellan noted the occurrence of ‘‘ cocchi,’’ the oil of which, together with 
that of “ giongioli,’”? was used by the natives to anoint their bodies and their hair. 
(Pigafetta’s Narrative.) Dampier compared the coconut palm with the ‘cabbage 
tree” (probably Roystonea oleracea) in its general appearance. He speaks of the 
large groves growing on the west coast of the island, and gives the following quaint 
description, which is marvelous for its accuracy: 
The Nut or Fruit grows at the head of the Tree, among the Branches and Clusters, 
10 to12in a Cluster. The Branch to which they grow is about the bigness of a Man’s 
Arm, and as long, running small towards the end. It is of a yellow colour, full of 
Knots and very tough. The Nut is generally bigger than a Man’s Head. The outer 
Rind is nearly two Inches thick, before you come to the Shell; the Shell it self is 
black, thick, and very hard. The Kernel in some Nuts is very thick, sticking to the 
inside of the Shell clear round, leaving a hollow in the middle of it, which contains 
about a Pint, more or less, according to the bigness of the Nut, for some are much 
bigger than others. 
This Cavity is full of sweet, delicate, wholesome and refreshing Water. While 
the Nut is growing, all the inside is full of this Water, without any Kernel at all; 
but as the Nut grows towards its Maturity, the Kernel begins to gather and settle 
round on the inside of the Shell, and is soft like Cream: and as the Nut ripens, it 
increaseth in substance and becomes hard. The ripe Kernel is sweet enough, but 
very hard to digest, therefore seldom eaten, unless by strangers, who know not the 
effects of it; but while it is young and soft like Pap, some Men will eat it, scraping 
it out with a Spoon, after they have drunk the Water that was within it. 1 like the 
Water best when the Nut is almost ripe, forit is then sweetest and briskest. 
When the Nuts are ripe and gathered, the outside Rind becomes of a brown rusty 
colour; so that one would think that they were dead and dry; yet they will sprout 
out like Onions, after they have been hanging in the Sun 3 or 4 Months, or thrown 
about in a House or Ship, and if planted afterwards in the Earth, they will grow up 
toa Tree. Before they thus sprout out, there is a small spungy round knob grows 
in the inside, which we call an Apple. This at first is no bigger than the top of 
ones finger, but increaseth daily, sucking up the Water till it is grown so big as to 
fill up the Cavity of the Coco-nut, and then it begins to sprout forth. By this time 
the Nut that was hard, begins to grow oily and soft, thereby giving passage to the 
Sprout that springs from the Apple, which Nature hath so contrived, that it points 
to the hole in the Shell, (of which there are three, till it grows ripe, just where it’s 
fastened by its stalk to the Tree; but one of these holes remains open, even when it 
is ripe) through which it creeps and spreads forth its Branches [leaves]. You may 
let these teeming Nuts sprout out a foot and a half or two foot high before you plant 
them, for they will grow a great while like an Onion out of their own Substance. 
After describing at length the products obtainable from the sap, the kernel of the 
nut, the fiber of the husk, and the shell, Dampier concludes: 
I have been the longer on this subject, to give the Reader a particular Account of 
the use and profit of a Vegetable, which is possibly of all others the most generally 
serviceable to the conyeniencies, as well as to the necessities of humane Life. Yet 
this Tree, that is of such great use, and esteemed so much in the East- Indies, is scarce 
regarded in the West-Indies, for want of the knowledge of the benefit which it may 
produce. And ’tis partly for the sake of my Country-men, in our American Planta- 
tions, that I have spoken so largely of it. “For the hot Climates there are a very 
proper soil for it; and indeed it is so hardy, both in raising it, and when grown, that 
it will thrive as well in dry sandy ground as in rich land. I have found them grow- 
ing very well in low sandy Islands (on the West of Sumatra) that are over-flowed 
with the Sea every Spring-tide; and though the Nuts there are not very big, yet this 
is no loss, for the Kernel is thick and sweet: and the Milk, or Water, in the inside 
is more pleasant and sweet than of the Nuts that grow in rich ground, which are 
commonly large indeed, but not very sweet. These at Guam grow in dry ground, 
are of middle size, and [ think the sweetest that I did ever taste. 0 
@See Lyon, The cocoanut, ete., Bureau of Agr. [Philippines], Bull. No. 8, 1903. 
> Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, ed. 6, pp. 291-296, 1717. 
