( 193 ) 



If, however, we could be fiirniflicd with a piece of this tree, cut 

 while ahve and growing, our obfervations might be much more ac- 

 curate. And, indeed, I was not witliout fufpicion that this piece of 

 wood had been cut from a dead tree, though one of the feamen af- 

 I'ured me, that the decay which I luive before mentioned, liappened to 

 it on board the fliip. 



In order to place before the reader's eye the form of the joints 

 knots, or bands, whereby the body of the Cocoa-tree is ftrengthcned, 

 and which as it were, furround it tliroughout with a fort of girdle, I 

 caufed a drawing to be made of this piece of wood, on a contra6led 

 fcale ; from which drawing will be feen, how firmly thofe trees, 

 which have no horizontal velfels, are ftrengthened by thefe kind of 

 bands, furrounding them in an oblique direction. 



Li Plate \:\.fg. 1 , A B C D E F G H I K L M, reprefent this wood 

 drawn fmaller than the natural fize. C M, C L, D L, E K, F K, 

 F I, indicate the pofition and courfe of the knots or bands, that is, 

 that they do not go in a ftraight line round the tree, but fometimes 

 approach to, and fometimes recede from, each other, whicli approach 

 and receding are fliown at K L. And, this oblique courfe of the knots, 

 bands, or cin6lures, contributes more to the llrength of the tree, than 

 if they encircled it in the form of hoops. 



By cutting and examining tliis wood, in the manner I have de- 

 Icribed, I fully fatisfied myfelf in the particular wherein I wiflied to 

 "be afcertained, namel}^ that the Cocoa Tree has no horizontal vef- 

 fels. And there is moreover a circumftance to be noted in thefe 

 kinds of trees, that they have no branches except at the very tops, 

 ^md therefore, are not fo ftrongly a6led upon by the ibrce of the 

 wind. Nor are the branches which they have, perennial, but tliey 

 every year fall oft, and are replaced by frefh branches, which grov/ 

 on the tree at the fame time with the fruit. 



I alfo cut tranfverfgly a piece of the wood, in a part where it was 



A a 2 



