_H* HOllTUS JAMAICENSIS. -cocoa 



kernel is iVeqiiently rasped and made into fritters and cakeb*. The roots of tiie 

 lice are very slentier, simple, and Hexile ; they rise seperately from the bottom of tiie 

 inijik, and spread in all directions, some nianiiij;- to a great depth in the ground, 

 while others creep almost parallel to the surface. Browne. 



This tree rises to the height of fifty or sixty feet, and fl )iirishes remarlrably on the 

 very margin of the sea, planted in the sand with a little mould.- It is {M-oduced from 

 the nut, Which bears transplanting extremely well, though rendered more vigorous 

 by mixing salt with the earth into which it is removed. 



"The substance which incloses the sbellis made of tough fibres, of which tiie Indians 

 niais'e not only cordage and other tackle for ships, but a kind of oak hum for caulking, 

 which is highly extolled. Steeped in water, and l)eaten Hke flax, it is manufactured 

 into an excellent linen. After this coat is taken ofl', the shell makes its appearance, 

 which takes a fine polish, and is often foroied into drinking cups, set in silver. The 

 liquor is generalh- esteemed highly antiscorbutic, one of the pleasantest drinks in Ame- 

 rica, and makes e^salutarv emulsion in fevers ; it is also added in the distillation of rum, 

 and thought to improve "the flavour of that spirit. The trunk is formed into gutters, 

 and occasionally employed for enclosing and roofing out-houses, and, being nailed 

 ciose, is so hardy as to resist the weather for many years. 



In order to make arrack from it, the tree must be kept from bearing fruit. For this 

 purpose, the sprout which produces the nut, and which shoots every month, is cut, 

 and jars fastened to it to receive the Hquor ; or the body is bored, and a plug put into 

 the orifice, which is occasionally taken out when the liquor is wanted: this liquor is 

 suffered to ferment, and, whilst it is in this state, it is distilled into, the spirit called 

 arrack, which far excels what is drawn from rice. If this liquor is exposed to the sun, 

 it soon turns to vinegar ; it must therefore be carried, immediately after it is collected, 

 into a shady place. 



Near the base of the larger branches or footstalks is a weh-Wke plexus, composed of 

 fibres curiously inter^t'oven by the hand of nature, which is the clothing this tree is 

 said to afford ; and is often used in this island for strainers. 



Considering this variety of productions, those writers have not been guilty of much 

 exaggeration, who assert" that it furnishes meat, drink, physic, clothing, lodging, an^ 

 .fuel" Long. 



The milk or water of the nut is cooling and pleasant, but, if drank too freely, will 

 frequently occasion a pain in the stomach. A salutary oil may be extracted from the 

 kernel; which, if old, and eaten too plentifully, is apt to produce a shortness of 

 breathing. The largest coco-nut trees grow on the River Oroonoko. They thrive best 

 near the sea, and look beautiful at a distance. They afford no great shade. Ripe nuts 

 have been produced from them in three years after planting. The nuts should be ma- 

 cerated in water before they are put into the ground. Coco is an Indian name ; the 

 Spaniards call it also palnm de las Jndias ; as the smallest kind, whose nuts are less 

 than walnuts, is termed by them ro?i////o. This grow.s in Chili, and the nuts are es- 

 teemed more delicate than those of the larger size. Grainger. 



This useful plant is supposed to be a native of the Maldive and some desert islands 



ia 



