( 201) 



young plant flioots forth, to he covered, and, as it were, fealcd up, 

 with a fubftancc like rofin or pitch. 



To give a more pcrfcvlt idea of the nature of the Cocoa-nut or 

 hernel, after I had bored the Ihcll near the place v,'here thole 

 parts I have likened to eyes are fituated, and poqred out the juice 

 contained in the cavity, I broke away the fliell fo far as was fullici- 

 cnt to flicw tlie infide of the nut, that it might be exprcHed in a 

 drawing. 



Fig. 11, O P O R, reprefents the Cocoa-nut or kemelasit appears, 

 inclol'ed in the iliell, Vvhich fliell is denoted by PQR. At P R, are 

 ibme of th.ofe capillaments, which in great numbers, are found 

 united to the fliell, and, as they are in fad:, no other than vefiels 

 deftined to convey the nutritive juices, they penetrate into the inte- 

 rior part of the Ihell, and there impart nourilhment to the fruit. 

 Farther, many very fmall ved'els take their courfe through the 

 hard fliell, and thefe, as I found by the microfcope, were compofed 

 of other vefiels incredibly flender, the fmalleft of which were of 

 the fpiral formation defcribed in^^. 6, O P. 



STV, denote the nut itfelf, properly fo called. WXY is a 

 -cavity within it, which contains the fap or juice I have mentioned, 

 which is very pleafant to the tafte, and of a nouridiing quality. A 

 drop of this juice I put into a very clean glafs, in order, Vvhen 

 the watery parts of it were exhaled, to examine the remainder, and 

 -therein I did not find any faline particles, but it had the appearance 

 of a fyrup, which did not evaporate, being more of a fixed nature. 



This kernel is conne6led with the hard fliell by infinite numbers 

 of vefiels, and on the fide next the Ihell is alfo covered with a tliin 

 Ikin, through which multitudes of vefiels take their courfe ; they 

 are of the iame fpiral figure as before mentioned, and lye clofe to- 

 gether, and they are not much thicker than the hair of a man's 



Bb 3 



