COCOA-NUT TREE. 297 



seen at one time, yielding an inexhaustible 

 supply for the use of man at all seasons of the 

 year. 



This palm delights in, and grows with the 

 greatest luxuriance in the vicinity of the sea, 

 and is found in great perfection on the south 

 and west coasts of Ceylon ; (giving a beautiful 

 appearance to those coasts ;) those of Malabar 

 and Coromandel, on the Maldive and Laccadive 

 Islands ; those of Polynesia, where it adorns 

 the small coral islands, as well as those of mag- 

 nitude, glowing in all the brilliancy and beauty 

 of tropical scenery. At Penang and Singapore 

 I remarked these palms to be comparatively 

 unproductive, and they are rarely seen cultivated 

 to any extent. ' 



The Singalese have a curious tradition re 

 garding the original discovery of the cocoa-nut 

 tree, by a prince of the interior of the island of 

 Ceylon. About half-a-mile from Belligam, (a 

 fishing hamlet on the southern coast of Ceylon, 

 situated between the towns of Point de Galle 

 and Matura, in about 80*^ 20' east longitude, 

 and 5° 30' north latitude,) completely concealed 

 from view, whether approached by land or sea, 

 by the density of the cocoa-nut groves, is a large 

 rock of granite, to the left-hand on the road to 

 Galle, which at that particular spot is completely 



