89 



of the Coco de Mer, and is said to be one of the most beautiful 

 spots in tropical climes, the trunks of these charming palms rising 

 to a height of ninety or a hundred feet and bearing aloft a crown 

 of magnificient fan-shaped leaves, often twenty feet long and ten 

 or twelve feet wide. 



The many economic uses of this palm make it of exceeding 

 value to the natives of the Seychelles. The heart of the crown of 

 leaves is eaten as a vegetable, as is done with the cabbage palm. 

 The leaves, perhaps, are the most important, being used extensively 

 in house-building, not only for thatching, but also for making walls 

 and partitions; and the down of the young leaves is used in 

 filling mattresses and pillows. The nuts are made into utensils of 

 various kinds, and the young leaves furnish material for making 

 hats. 



II.* 

 Oil the Double Cocoa-nut of the Seychelles (Lodoicea Sechellarum) "Sea 

 Cocoa-nut," "Double Coconut," " Coco de mer." 



By Swinburne Ward, Esq., Civil Commissioner, communicated 

 by Sir W. J. Hooker, F.R.S., & L.S., &c. 



This extraordinary specimen of the palm tribe, the largest and 

 most curious of all the many varied kinds scattered over all tropi- 

 cal regions, is found only in two small islands belonging to the 

 Seychelles group, " Praslin" and " Curieuse," which lie in juxta- 

 position between 4° and 5° of S. lat., and 55° and 56° E. long., — 

 nearly three hundred miles north-east of Madagascar, which, 

 though itself an island, may, from its immense size, be legitimately 

 considered the nearest mainland. 



The name by which it is best known, that of " Coco de mer," 

 was given to it by some French navigators who had picked up the 

 nut floating at sea, and being unable to ascertain anything respec- 

 ting the tree that produced it, supposed it to be the production of 

 some unknown submarine plant. It has often been found on the 

 coasts of Ceylon and the Maldive Islands, drifted thither by some 

 of the mysterious currents which perplex mariners all over the 

 Indian Ocean. The nuts attained in these countries to an almost 

 religious value, and were sold in India for fabulous prices. A 

 medicine was made of the kernel, which was said to possess res- 

 torative qualities much in request in those countries where poly- 

 gamy prevails. 



It was not until the discovery of the Seychelles Islands by the 

 French in 1742 that authentic information was obtained respecting 

 the true nature of the tree, and the astonishment of those previ- 

 ously acquainted with the Coco de mer may well be imagined upon 

 their finding large forests entirely composed of this palm, growing 

 most luxuriantly upon a small and quite unhabited island, and 

 towering far above all ordinary tropical vegetation. 



But little is even now known respecting the growth and peculi- 

 arities of this extraordinary palm, owing to the great length of 

 time it requires to arrive at maturity, and the consequent difficulty 



*Joui'nal of the Linuean Society, VIII, 1865, p, 135 



