BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 49 



the extent of about three-quarters of a pound to each leaf. This 

 falls away of itself and is easily collected without injury to the tree. 

 Some is coarse like elephants' bristles, and some so fine as to be 

 good for stuffing beds ; but the greater part is like horse-hair, 

 making a beautiful rope. It bears a greater strain than coir, and 

 loses less weight than coir, hemp or Manila hemp, as it requires no 

 preparation for manufacture, and water has no efi'ect upon it. It 

 would be superior to every other kind of fibre for ropes, were it 

 not that it is not sufficiently elastic for anything but standing- 

 rigging, cables and such-like purposes. 



I conclude this summary of the value of Gomuti with the words 

 of Dr. Roxburgh : "I cannot avoid recommending to every one 

 who possesses land in India, particularly such as is low and near 

 the coasts, to extend the cultivation of this useful and elegant 

 palm, as much as possible. The wine itself and the sugar it 

 yields, the black fibres for cordages and cables, and the pith for 

 sago, independent of many other uses, are objects of very great 

 importance. From observations made in the Botanic Gardens at 

 Calcutta, well-grown thriving trees produce about six leaves 

 annually, and each leaf yields from eight to 16 ounces of the 

 clean fibre. They are in blossom all the year; one lately cut down 

 yielded about 150 lbs. of good sago meal." 



Sago Palm. — In 1475, Marco Polo wrote as follows : — "And I 

 will tell you another great marvel ; they have a kind of tree that 

 produces fiour, and excellent flour it is for food. These trees are 

 very tall and thick, but have a very thin bark, and inside this 

 bark they are crammed with flour." Tliis is the first accurate 

 description of the Sagus Uevis, Reinw., by that most accurate and 

 painstaking of travellers. Twenty feet is about the average 

 height, and the tree is generally surrounded by numerous young 

 plants. The stem is very thick with annular leaf-scars on the 

 upper part. The leaves are like those of the Cocoa-nut but grow 

 more erect ; they are pinnate, unarmed ; leaflets linear, acute, 

 carinate and smooth. This tree is not matured till it is about 

 seven to 20 years old ; the fructification then appears and it soon 

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