84 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



around hiin and realizes that lie is surrounded by 

 the salt waters of the ocean — then one of his dark 

 attendants, di^^.ning his desire, climbs the smooth 

 trunk of a lofty palm, and brings down, apparently 

 from the sky, a nectar delicious enough for the gods. 



This tree is of such importance to the natives 

 that the Dutch officials are required to ascertain as 

 nearly as possible the number of them in their sev- 

 eral districts. In 1861 there were in Java and 

 Madura nearly twenty millions of these trees, or 

 more than three to every two natives. 



Near the cocoa-nut gi'ows the Pandanus, or 

 " screw-pine," which may be correctly described as a 

 trunk with branches at both ends. There are two 

 species of it widely distributed over the archipelago. 

 The flowers of one, the P. odoratissimus^ are very 

 fragrant and highly prized among the Malays. In 

 some places mats and baskets are made from its 

 leaves. Its woody fruit is of a spherical form, from 

 four to six inches in diameter, and its surface is divi- 

 ded with geometrical precision by projections of a 

 pointed pyramidal or diamond shape. 



On the low lands, back from the shore, where the 

 soil has been enriched with vegetable mould, the 

 banana thrives. Unlike the cocoa-nut tree, it is sel- 

 dom seen where it has not been planted by the 

 hand of man. The traveller, therefore, who is worn 

 out with his long wanderings through the thick, 

 almost impassable, jungles, beholds with delight the 

 long, green, drooping leaves of this tree. He knows 

 that he is near some native hut where he can find a 

 shelter from the hot sun, and slake his thirst with 



