360 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



where thickest. The outside of it consists of woody 

 fibres, of a white colour, and very much matted 

 together, and within these the farinaceous matter is 

 contained. To obtain that, the natives spHt the 

 trunk into lon2:itudinal pieces, dry them, beat them 

 in mortars, and then sift the mass to separate the 

 fibres. After this, the farina is ready for being' 

 boiled into gruel, or congee, as it is called in India ; 

 but it is bitter, and far inferior to sago. It has, how- 

 ever, occasionally been of much use, and saved the 

 lives of the people at times when famine has threat- 

 ened them with destruction. 



The true sago palm of Asia (Sagjis) offers a 

 greater quantity of nourishing matter than is fur- 

 nished by any other plant, except the banana. The 

 single trunk of a tree of this species, in its fifteenth 

 year, sometimes furnishes six hundred pounds of 

 sago. In the dialect of Amboyna the word sago 

 signifies farina (meal). Mr. Crawford, in his ' His- 

 tory of the Indian Archipelago,' has calculated that a 

 single acre of land will support four hundred and 

 thirty-five sago-palms, which will annually produce 

 120,500 lbs. of sago. 



The northern bank of the Orinoco, the great river 

 of South America, is covered with palms of the 

 Mauritia, which also produce farinaceous matter, or 

 sago. The whole country in which they abound is 

 subject to inundations ; and the fan-like branches of 

 these trees look like a forest which rises out of the 

 bosom of the waters. The navigator who passes 

 along the della of the Orinoco is surprised to see the 

 tops of these trees lighted with fires. They are 

 kindled by a people (the Guanacas) who have re- 

 mained for ages in these marshy districts, — secured 

 from the floods by living in the palms. In the 

 branches they suspend mats, which they fill with 

 clay, and on this damp hearth kindle the fires which 



