34 



HA RD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



must have been hundreds of shams. I saw a would- 

 be moonstone ring offered for twenty-five shillings 

 afterwards sold for eighteen pence. One fellow 

 pestered me to buy "an unset turquoise" — it was a 

 bit of pale yellow glass, intended to represent a topaz; 

 he was a green hand in the trade. Half-hoop sapphire 

 rings I could have bought for £1, though they offered 

 originally at £4 ; but the stones were inferior, and 

 all flawed. Many passengers were most hopelessly 

 taken in, and without special knowledge or reliable 

 advice I recommend travellers to steer clear of the 

 Ceylon gem trade. 



Alas ! too soon the time arrived for departure. In 

 a few days this will, I trust, be posted at Albany, 

 King George's Sound. 



C. Parkinson, F.G.S. 



Equator, Indian Ocean. 



January 24///, 1888. 



THE ECONOMICAL PRODUCTS OF 

 PLANTS. 



KAVA ROOT.— This is the root of Piper methy- 

 sticnm, Forst. {Macropipermethystiatm, Miquel), 

 a native of the Society and South 

 Sea Islands, where it is largely 

 cultivated for the sake of its roots. 

 It is a trailing succulent species. 

 Leaves alternate on short petioles, 

 ovate-cordate, equal-sided, sub- 

 acute, 9-10-nerved. Flowers in 

 axillary catkins ; the males in soli- 

 tary, and the females in clustered 

 catkins. Root rhizinose, thick, 

 woody, rugged, with a slightly 

 pungent flavour, and narcotic pro- 

 perties. A tincture of it is pre- 

 pared and used in cases of chronic 

 rheumatism and other complaints. 

 But it is more highly appreciated 

 for the sake of an abominable and 

 stimulating beverage which it yields. 

 The most approved method of its 

 preparation is briefly described 

 below. Large quantities of women 

 and girls are employed to chew pieces of the 

 root, and, when well masticated and mixed with 

 saliva, it is ejected into large bowls called 

 kava, or ava bowls (similar in shape to a boat), 

 when it is mixed with coco juice, and allowed to 

 ferment, after which it forms a very intoxicating 

 beverage, which is largely consumed by the lower 

 strata of society, both native and European ; the 

 whites being especially fond of it. The upper and 

 more respectable part of the community entertain 

 very repugnant feelings towards it. According to 

 Dr. Lindley (" Veg. King." p. 518), "It is employed 

 by the Otaheitans to cure venereal diseases ; they 

 make themselves drunk, after which very copious 



perspirations come on ; this lasts three days, at the 

 end of which time we are told the patient is 

 cured." 



The natives generally, always partake of it before 

 they undertake any important business, or perform 

 religious ceremonies, thinking undoubtedly they are 

 thereby greatly assisted. In this respect, by the 

 way, their example is closely followed by many of 

 our highly-civilised whites at home, with material 

 which perhaps is even more prejudicial to the system 

 than kava. In the "Athenaeum" for 1861, some 

 excellent letters contributed by Dr. Seemann appeared 

 respecting this plant, and some most amusing anec- 

 dotes are related in reference to its uses ; he says, 

 " The Fijians pride themselves on the non-intoxi- 

 cating properties of kava, that it does not make the 

 partakers quarrelsome, and that drunk in moderation 

 it has no ill effect upon the system, but when used in 

 excess it produces numerous skin diseases." And 

 according to the same authority there is another 

 closely-allied species, the root of which is used in 

 the preparation of a beverage which Dr. Seemann 

 describes as having a flavour of soap-suds, combined 

 with jalap and magnesia, which is by no means a 



0* 



Fig- 37- — Branch of ManiJwt utilissima (reduced). 



eulogistic description, the material itself is also un- 

 appreciated by Europeans. 



Tapioca. — This important farinaceous food is ob- 

 tained chiefly from the root of Manihot utilissima, 

 Pohl {Janipha manihot, Humb., and Jatropha mani- 

 hot, Linn.), which is commonly called the Bitter 

 Cassava, or mandioca plant. The first mention is 

 made of tapioca, by Piso, in his " Natural History of 

 Brazil," p. 52 ; and the plant was introduced into this 

 country in 1739, and is still found in our botanical 

 collections. It exists at Kew, also in a dried state, 

 while the various preparations from the root are ex- 

 hibited in the No. I Museum there. It was originally 

 a native of tropical South America, but is now largely 



