i 4 4 OS BECK'S VOYAGE. 



ripen, and grows brown : it confiils of an 

 outer cafe, like hemp, and is ufed as iucli, 

 and therefore is commonly peeled off before 

 the nut is fold ; excepting a narrow flripe, 

 which is left to fliew how ripe the nut is ; and 

 accordingly is cither green, or yellow, or 

 brown. Yet thefe nuts may be had quite 

 perfect if they are ordered, and in that ftate 

 they contain the greatefl plenty of frefh water. 

 The fibrous (hell is ufed for matches and 

 ropes, but the latter foon rot in frelh water. 

 The next ihell below this is white before it is 

 ripe, but it afterwards becomes brown and 

 very hard : near the (talk it is fomewhat angu- 

 lated. The Java people make ufe of it to 

 put their brown fugar and other things in. 

 People going to the Eaft Indies make drinking 

 veflels and punch ladles of it : and befides 

 this fome very pretty little baikets. Oppofite 

 to the bafe, or to the part where the ftalk is 

 fattened, are three little holes, but only one 

 of them is eafily opened. The innermoft ihell, 

 which fits clofe to the hard {hell, is white, 

 and not much harder than a turnep before it 

 is boiled : it may be eaten raw, and it has a 

 taftc of fweet almonds ; and for that reafon 

 feamen mix it with cinnamon, and make a fort 

 of almond milk with it. It may alfo be ufed 



as 



