e 276 FLORA VITIENSIS. 
the seacoast ; some varieties, however, have been met with far inland, for instance, at Merida, in Yucatan, 
by Heller ; at Patna, in Bengal, by J. Hooker; and at Concepcion del Pao, in South America, by Humboldt 
and Bonpland. But there is reason to believe that at one time its geographical range was much more : 
limited; indeed, we know that even in our days it has been extended to the West Coast of Africa; and the 
great puzzle has been, whence did it originally spring? Though having paid considerable attention to this 
subject, I am not acquainted with any theory, nor have been able to start one myself, whieh would be in 
unison with the part the Cocoa-nut at present plays in different countries. It is generally assumed. that 
the Isthmus of Panamá, or the country thereabouts, was the cradle of this singular production, and that it 
thence floated to Polynesia and Asia. The reason for this assumption is that all the other species of the 
genus Cocos belong to the New World as inland species, and that it is reasonable to suppose this littoral one 
(Cocos nucifera) is also endemie to America. But it should not be forgotten that there are several genera of 
Palms with representatives about the native country of which there is no doubt, in both hemispheres : for 
instance, the Oil Palms (Ziaéis) in Africa and America, and the common Fan Palms (Chamerops) in Europe, 
Asia, and America. Moreover, whilst the Asiatics and Polynesians have discovered innumerable uses of the 
Cocoa-nut tree, the American natives have made no such progress, but consume the fruit as an occasional 
luxury only. This would almost seem to prove that the acquaintance of the latter with the tree dates 
from a comparatively recent period, and that of the former from a more remote one, an argument un- 
favourable to America being regarded as its native country. 
On turning to Polynesia we find whole islands covered with Cocoa-nut, and in some groups the 
entire population relying upon it as their staff of life. It has all the appearance of being perfectly at 
home, but there is one circumstance that strikes us as very curious. The light-skinned Polynesians are 
assumed to be of a Malay stock, and to have migrated somewhere from Eastern Asia. How comes it to. 
pass that they are ignorant of the art of preparing toddy from the unexpanded flower-branches of the 
Cocoa-nut Palm,—a beverage of so ancient a date that the oldest language of Asia has a term for it, toddy 
being a corruption of the Sanskrit word tade? Did these Polynesians leave the cradle of their race before 
the Cocoa-nut tree had found its way to it ? or are we to assume that they have migrated with the trade- 
wind rather than against it; that Malayan Asia was peopled from Polynesia rather than Polynesia from 
Malayan Asia? Toddy may be extracted from other Palms besides the Cocoa-nut, and from time imme- 
morial has been obtained from several indigenous Asiatic species (Caryota, Arenga, etc.) Had the Poly- 
nesians therefore once known the process, they would probably never have forgotten so easy a way of ob- 
taining sugar, vinegar, yeast, and a pleasant drink, the strength of which may be regulated by time to 
any man’s taste. So either the Polynesians could never have come from Eastern Asia, or else, after 
spreading over the South Sea, ages must have elapsed before the Cocoa-nut made its appearance in those 
waters, so that the process of toddy-making (there being no other suitable Polynesian Palms to operate 
upon) had been entirely forgotten, and even disappeared from native traditions. Under such circum. 
stances, it behoves us to suspend our final judgment whether Polynesia be or be not the native country of 
the Cocoa-nut. : 
As already stated, Western Africa has in our times only become familiar with the Cocos nucifera, and 
I have not been able to learn anything regarding its history on the eastern coast of that continent, except 
that in Madagascar, in common with many other things supposed to have been imported by Malay pirates, 
it bears a Malayan name. 
But how about Asia, where such forests of these Palms now gird the coast, and where they seem to 
grow with almost greater vigour than in America or Polynesia? Can that have been the cradle of the nut ? 
There are weighty reasons for hesitating in a reply. The littoral parts of Ceylon are now densely covered 
with this tree, and it looks more at home there than I have ever seen it in any part of the world. Yet 
both tradition and history affirm that at one time the Cocoa-nut was unknown in Ceylon. Not far from 
Point de Galle there is carved on a rock the gigantic effigy of a native prince, Kottah Rayah, to whom is 
ascribed the discovery of the properties of the Cocoa-nut, which before his time were unknown, as was also 
the tree. Moreover, the oldest chronicle of Ceylon, the * Marawansa,’ the historical value of which is now 
fully admitted, is absolutely silent about everything relating to the Cocoa-nut, whilst it never fails to 
record, with tedious minuteness, every aecession of other fruit-trees made to the plantations by native 
princes. Now, is it probable that a fruit like the Cocoa-nut, which is often tossed about the ocean for 
months without losing its germinating power from the effects of salt water,—is it probable tbat if such a 
fruit had been indigenous to any part of Asia, it should have reached Ceylon only in a comparatively 
recent historical period ? 
These and similar puzzles having engaged my attention ever since I brought out my * Popular History 
of Palms, I was somewhat prepared for the question, * Was the Cocoa-nut known to the ancient Egyp- 
tians ?" which Goodwin started in the * Parthenon, when he said:—* The Cocoa-nut Palm is not now 
found in Egypt, nor do the ancient writers mention it as among the products of that country. It is well 
known to be exceedingly abundant in most tropical regions near the sea, and it occurs on the Arabian 
coasts. The origin of the name is involved in o scurity, but it has been thought to be derived from the 
