322 COCOA-NUT TREE. 



are of a tolerable thickness, and great hardness ; 

 they are cut transversely, scraped, polished, and 

 mounted on silver, being edged also with the 

 same metal, and are preserved as goblets, more 

 for curiosity than utility ; but the shell is also 

 used for cups, (elegantly carved,) lamps, ladles, 

 skimmers, spoons, &c. ; they are used by the 

 Polynesians, as well as other natives, entire, for 

 containing their water, having two holes on the 

 summit. The interior of the nut is extracted 

 without breaking the shell, by filling it with 

 salt-water, after wdiich it is buried for some time 

 in the sand, when the inside pulp becomes de- 

 cayed, and the shell is then well washed out. 

 The largest nuts are chosen for the purpose, and 

 are often seen highly polished, and of a fine black 

 colour. The cups of the natives are usually 

 made of sections of the cocoa-nut in that stage 

 of ripeness, when they are denominated by the 

 Tahitans Omutu ; they are then scraped so thin 

 as to be nearly transparent, and are of a light- 

 brown colour. The shells will make good lamp- 

 black, and, reduced to charcoal and pulverized, 

 also an excellent dentifrice. 



The flowers are insignificant when the magni- 

 tude of the tree is considered, and are inclosed 

 in a thick, tough spathe, which, when either 

 opened artificially, or when seen just expanding 



