BOTANY. 177 



SUGAR-CANE. 



That these Provinces ate well adapted for the cultivation 

 of sugar-cane, has been well tested by Mr. O'Riley, who 

 made many tons of very excellent sugar from cane that was 

 raised at Amherst. In Hindustan the mucilage of the 

 musk-mallow, AbtlmoscJms moschatus is used to clarify 

 sugar, and it is one of our most common indigenous plants; 

 Both the Burmese and Karens grow sugar-cane, which 

 they chew for its juice, and from which they make cake- 

 sugar. 



Saccharum officinarum. 



cqn 3 ,s h(3Ql. oo85< 



NIPA. 



The nipa is very extensively cultivated in the province 

 of Tavoy. From incisions in the stem of the fruit, toddy 

 is extracted, which has very much the flavour of mead, 

 and this extract when boiled down becomes sugar. In 

 Burmah, where the palmyra abounds, an extract from that 

 tree is made to supply its place. 

 Nipa fruticans. 



COFFEE. 



Coffee not inferior to the best from Mocha, I have rais* 

 ed in my own garden at Tavoy, but the plants do not 

 flourish after the fourth or fifth year. 

 Coffea arabica. 



MERGCI SAGO. 



Sago may be seen in every bazar in the Provinces, but 

 it is not generally known what plant produces it, many 

 having the erroneous impression that it is made from 

 manihot. It is the produce of an indigenous plant abound- 

 in(T along the sea shore,the islands, and especially at Mergui 

 — a species of tacca, the same plant that is common in the 

 South Sea Islands, whose tubers there supply to the inha- 

 bitants the place of bread. Considerable quantities of 



