316 COCOA-NUT THEE. 



the dried fronds as torches, both for themselves 

 during the dark nights, or to carry before the 

 carriages and palanquins of Europeans ; they also 

 use the spathe for a similar purpose, as well as 

 for fuel ; and at Rotuma and otlier Polynesian 

 islands it is also adopted for a like purpose. At 

 Tongatabu (one of the Friendly Islands) combs 

 are made by the women of the midrib of the 

 leaflets of the cocoa-nut tree, the upper part 

 being beautifully worked with the fibre of the 

 husk of the cocoa-nut, or Bulu ; these combs, 

 from their neat and ornamental appearance, 

 were in great requisition during the time I 

 visited that interesting island, and all the women 

 were busily employed during the stay of the 

 ship in making these combs, which they readily 

 exchanged with the Papalangi* (foreign) officers 

 and crew for trifling articles. The combs were 

 stained by the bark of the Koka-tree, of a dark 

 reddish colour, intended as a rude imitation of 

 tortoiseshell. 



There is one portion of this valuable tree 

 which attracts much the attention of the ob- 

 server,^ — it is a kind of net-work ; when very 

 young it is delicate, beautifully white, and 



* Papalangi was applied to any thing foreign ; we were 

 Papalangis ; our cloth was Gnatoo papalangi ; our rum Kava 

 papalangi, &c. 



