and the Jreca-7mt Tree. 321 



or roasted in ashes. It is often presented at the best tables 

 of tlic Europeans. The Hindoos, who are frugivorous, make 

 rac Hits of it under the name of cari. To this point ihey 

 give the name of kdingue, which signifies the first shoot of 

 the palms. 



The first leaf begins to show itself only on the thirty- 

 fifth or fortieih day-. It appears like a bundle of small 

 ribbons, shaded with pale liesh colourj and bordered with 

 a band of beautiful gre^n. 



The roots first begin to be formed in the woody cod, the 

 second covering of the coco-nut, in filaments, united ni 

 groups, shaped like a very large goose egg, of a yellowish 

 colour, tender, and saccharine, which are eaten, prepared like 

 the kclingi't's, as well as the young leaves, which we call the 

 mi'bagcof the cnco-mil tree, and which in delicacy of 

 taste surpasses the finest almonds. Assisted then by mois- 

 ture and heat, they burst about the thirtieth day, on all 

 sides, that shell which preserves the fruit for years, which 

 secures the nascent roots from the attack of destructive 

 worms, and which, bv its great solidity, prevents the eva- 

 poration of the water inclosed in the shell, as well as the 

 desiccation of the milky juice of the pulp or kernel neces- 

 sarv for the development of the germ, and of the roots of 

 the vegetable. The roots, when become strong, about the 

 third month, penetrate into the earth all around the palm, 

 and take hold wiih such force, that the greatest efiorts are 

 necessary to tear them up. Hence, a coco nut tree can 

 with difficulty be overturned by the most impetuous storm. 



'I1ie wood of the coco-nut tree is not hard, but it is ex- 

 ceedingly flexible and pliableduring thetimethat itvcgetates 

 or retauis its sap. It has then such elasticity, that a can- 

 non ball rebounds, and is reflected from it. A military 

 officer, in the service of the French East India Company, 

 nho in the vear 17C() commanded fort Alemparne, the 

 revetemcns of which could not have stood ten cannon 

 shot, endured a sie^e of ten or twelve days, because M. 

 V'erri, who had the conmiand there, conceived the idea of 

 causing the faces of the walls to be covered with coco-nut. 

 trees, suspended from them. Another proof of mvassertion, 

 in regard to the astonishing elasticity of the wood of the 

 coco-nut tree, occurred during the memorablcsiege of Pondi- 

 ' herry, in 1776: a ballfired from the place accidentally 

 I ruck a coco-nut tree in an avenue opposite to it, and 

 perforated the body of the tree, which bent, and sufl'cred it 

 III pa>^s tlu-ough it, as if it had gone througli a mattress. 

 Ihc trunk then closed up, bringing together ^11 the lig- 



Vol. 'JO. No. ho. Jan. 1&05. .\ neous 



