c<'nrn.v B'OTITU'S JA>rArC ENSra J>0^ 



lathe Fast Tnriies, and from thence to have heen transported to all the warn pnrts of 

 America ; for it i.s not foim.l ia any of tlio inlaml parts, nor any where distant from sct- 

 tiemcnts. , The body. of the trunk, which generally' leans to one side, occasioned, as is- 

 supposed, by the great weight of nuts it sustains when young, is tlie exact shape of an 

 4ipothecary's large iron pestie, being of an equal thickness at top and at bottom, b't-t 

 somewhat smaller in the middle ; its colour is uf a pale lirown throngho-at, and the b;.r!t 

 juiooth. Tiie leaves or braneliea are often fourteen or fifteen feet long, about twenty- 

 eight in number, winged,, of a yellowish colour, straight and taperi!>g-: Tlie prnnse nr ' 

 {)anial leaves are green, often three feet long next the trunk, bnt dimi'iishing ia 

 ength towards the extremity of the braaiches.- The branches are fastened at-top iiy 

 "brown stringy threads that grow out of them, of the size of ordinary pacl<-tb!X-fl I, ani; 

 ani interwoven like a web. The nutS' hang at the top of thetmnk, in citistcrs of a do- 

 sen in each. Each nut, next the stem, has three holes closely stopped ; on'^ of them-- 

 Vemg wider and more casiiy penetrated than the rest. T"ne quantity of liquor in a full 

 grown nut is frequently a pint and upwai-ds. The bark may be wrought into cordage^ 

 and the leaves make baskets, brooms, hummocks, niat^. racks, and ot^.er n -ef'd -I't^^i- 

 sils. In Maldivia tlie cocoa nut is esteemed as a pow^ert'ui antidote against the bites q& 

 seipSnts and other poisons. . 



The fo'iow'.Hgz.tjbservations orv the cocoa nut tree, and its n^es in the East T idies arc " 

 c-itracted from the account given of thi -. vaiuabie piant b M. Le G vix do Flaix, a:i 

 "jugenious oflScer of engineers, and a member of the Asiatic &x'iety of Calcutta, whichs 

 was nnbiist;ed some ye-ii's ago : : - 



" It is iveil known that the fibrous coyering of the coco-nut is roqrerted iiito good 

 ropes, wliich are useful in navigation, and for various purp )3ea on sh jre. Ca'des for 

 anchors nia ie of this substance are nuicli better than those made of hemp. Tliey a.s 

 exceeJin'Tiy elastic, stretcii without straining the vessel, and scan eiy ever break ; in- 

 appreciable adva'Uages,.. which are not possessed )iy tho<fe ofhemrj; Tiiey are alsa 

 lighter, and never n)t,:-in: consequence of their heiiig soaked wiib Sea water. They 

 r.sver, like those of henp, exnale damp iniasmita, exc?ed-ii>giv hirtfn} to the crews 

 of ship,; wlio sleep on the same deck where these ropes are kent when ships ar>^ und t 

 sail. T-i all these adva'icag>'s iuust be a -ded, thart ropes made of the /racr* djat like 

 wood, tnat they are mucii easier managed, uni run better in the pudeys during nauti- 

 cal in a r:oenvres. 



" Txie paims of this tree, when e-i r;', are employed tr? -mike mats for sleepin:^' 

 upon. VVaen split through the middle, ac: ording to the length of the foot-stalk, th-^v 

 are wjve i ita mats f >r coveri ri sheds and h iises. Tue use of these mats, even for the 

 laiig'^st edifi'-es, is gen^'ralon tne coast of Malabar. When tiie nut is ras >e I with n 

 cii'cuiar u ethed pi^ce oi'ir )n,i there rs extracte i from it a kin I of milk or em i!si m, I y 

 Tidxi.ig wittidt a small quantity .f boiling water, and tti^n .-trdninr it througn a pieca 

 of thi 1 ;i>th in tlie same r..a i.ier as those do who extract milk of al nonds. 



" TnistHiitilsion ii emplyye.l for different purposes : it is used for pr'parniw salofj 

 and .sago. VViien put into coffee,, instead of cream, it giv?s ifan ei?:quisite taste : th:it 

 *t our aim judi prodiiGes a^-ar.v the same eff ct. Tuis emulsion is enil.iveJ also in t la 

 a.-t if painting chintzes,; to r 'm>v3 stains of ch3 co'ours, .an I scan r the doth after t.ia 

 ioi'.. a^va been a^jpiisd.- < Tue .ail. i j' ; lo couj-)i, t'ujgii oily, oiLvvoiOxis vi-a 



E 3 .eo; 



** r<K> Ki-'tioo aama ior Uie fiaroua covorio^ 



