2i\'2 A. -A. FAUVEL 



c< substance as the shell of tho mit, only much thicker. As 

 « far as can be ascertained, il never rots or wears out. It has 

 « been found (|uite perfect and entire in every respect d() 

 « years after thetree has been eut down. At Curieuse, many 

 n sockets are still remaining whicb are known to hâve 

 (( belonged t<> trees eut down by the first settlers on this 

 « îsland. 



(.< Tins curious arrangement renders it impossible that the 

 « trunk could grow in a slanting position ; and there is no 

 k known instance of its doing so, either on the fïat or on the 

 « steep sides of the mountains in both of whicb situations 

 « the tree thrives equally well . The high price still fetched 

 « by the nuts will ultimately be the cause of their complète 

 « extinction on thèse islands. The growth of the palm is so very 

 <( slow that no one can expect to reap where lie has sowed 

 « and the people Consequently never take the trouble to 

 « plant any for the benefît of posterity. Not content too with 

 « digging up the nuts that hâve fallen and taken root, they 

 (( ruthlesslv destroy whole trees by cutting them down for 

 « the sake of the nuts and the heart leaves, which later are 

 « used for making hats, fans and baskets. Many of the trees 

 « still standing are quite spoilt by the practice of cutting out 

 « thèse centre or heart leaves, leaving the tree shorn of its 

 « beauty and with an untidy ragged appearance. Besides the 

 « ravages of man, fîre is a terrible enemy to thèse forests, a 

 « year seldom elapsing, without their being sufferers by acci- 

 « dental conflagrations, especially those forests situated at 

 (( the north-west end of Praslin on which arenow found only 

 (( such maie trees that from their height overtopped the 

 « liâmes that destroyed the females. At the south-east end of 

 « Praslin, they are more plentiful, the dry season, being in 

 « the south-east monsoon and as the forests are to windward, 

 « they are not exposed to much danger from spreading fîre. 



« No suggestion will induce proprietors to abandon their 

 « présent habit of wilfully destroying the trees for the sake 

 « of the nuts and leaves, or to take some pains for the culti- 

 « vation and reproduction of this magnificent Palm. Not 



