74 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



make an incision in the tender flower stalks and a 

 white liquor flows forth, which we gather into ves- 

 sels and which is known as palm wine. Exposed to 

 the sim it becomes sour and turns into vinegar. 

 When we distil it we obtain this excellent brandy, 

 which you have tasted. The same juice has also fur- 

 nished me with the sugar which I needed for pre- 

 serving the nut. Finally, all these dishes and uten- 

 sils which we are using on the table are made from 

 the shells of the cocoa-nuts. This is not all my 

 house even I owe to these invaluable trees ; their 

 wood has enabled me to build my cabin ; their leaves, 

 dried and interwoven, make the roof; and these same 

 leaves made into a parasol protect me from the sun 

 when I walk out. These clothes which I wear are 

 woven with the flbre-threads got from the leaves. 

 Those sieves were ready made in the parts of the 

 tree from which the leaves spring, and these mats 

 come from the same source. These same leaves 

 woven into a tissue make sails for our ships. The 

 coarse hair which covers the nut is used for calk- 

 ing ships, as it lasts forever and swells when ex- 

 posed to the water. Cables, ropes and twine are all 

 made of the same material. Finally, the delicate oil 

 with which many of these dishes were seasoned and 

 which burns in my lamp, is obtained by pressing the 

 freshly-gathered fruit." 



The stranger listened with astonishment and won- 

 der as the poor Indian showed him thus, that a single 

 variety of palms furnished him not only all the ne- 

 cessaries but many of the luxuries of life. When 



