424 AREKA PALM. 



parties, was effected by the supercargo of the 

 ship. 



The principal article of exportation from this 

 coast is Areka-nut, and a small quantity of rice ; 

 the latter, however, appeared of an inferior qua- 

 lity, and one-and-a-half dollar a pecul was de- 

 manded as the lowest price ; the vessel would be 

 required to furnish bags for the rice, as there are 

 none manufactured on the coast, and a delay of 

 the vessel would be also required to procure it. 

 Areka-nut must, therefore, be regarded as the 

 principal article of trade, as it is to be pur- 

 chased cheap, and of a quality as excellent as 

 in any part of the Eastern islands, or Cochin 

 China. 



The Areka palm is the Areka catechu of 

 botanists ; it is a palm of elegant growth, rising 

 with a very erect and small stem to the height 

 of forty or even sixty feet, the summit termi- 

 nating in a tuft of dark-green foliage ; the cir- 

 cumference of the trunk is seldom more than 

 one-and-a-half to two feet, when of early growth 

 of dark-green, and when old of a dark-grey co- 

 lour ; the circles formed by the clasping petioles 

 of the fronds being very visible upon it : the 

 tree bears fruit only once during the year, at 

 which period the tree, with its long bunches of 

 orange oval-shaped fruit, pendent from the 



