84 HOW I KILLED THE TIGER. 



The wood is applied to various purposes, such as 

 rafters, fences, shears, laths, shingles, chairs, and 

 ladies' work-boxes. But during the period of its 

 most abundant bearing (which is between ten 

 and thirty-five years' growth), the heart-wood is 

 of so soft and spongy a nature, that it is then 

 merely used for fences, waterpipes, etc. The 

 wood is strong and durable ; a cubic foot weighs 

 seventy pounds, and its timber is said to last for 

 twenty-five or fifty years. It is used for ridge 

 poles, for temporary roofs, aqueducts; also for 

 small boats, for the beams, posts and rafters of 

 houses, for spear handles, palings, and walking 

 sticks ; for fancy boxes and furniture, for the 

 frames of boats, conduits, gutters and drains. It 

 forms one of the porcupine woods of commerce, 

 and is used for fancy articles. A farinaceous 

 substance is contained in the stem, which forms 

 a good substitute for sago. Each tree produces 

 annually from fifty to sixty cocoa-nuts. These 

 are enclosed in a thick, fibrous husk, from which 

 the coir of commerce is obtained by maceration 

 and beating. The husk is employed as a scrub- 

 bing-brush and polishing-brush. It is converted 

 into cordage of various kinds, used for the rigging 

 of ships, fishing-nets, and matting; and in India, 

 in its loose state, it is the usual material with 

 which mattresses, pillows, and sofas are stuffed. 



