G2 THE PALMS OF EUROPE AND AFRICA. 



of Christ. Our own righteousness will be of no 

 avail, for we all have sinned, and are all exposed 

 to the condemnation of God's holy law. But 

 the great salvation is offered freely, without 

 money and without price, to all alike ; and 

 whosoever will may come and take of the water 

 of life freely. It is God's greatest, God's free 

 gift ; and will be bestowed on every one, how- 

 ever unworthy, who feels deeply his need of 

 it, and seeks it in the appointed way : " Believe 

 on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 

 saved :" " Ilim that cometh to me I will in 

 nowise cast out." 



Next to the date tree, the most important 

 of the palms of Africa is the oil palm, (Elais 

 Guineensis.) It grows in abundance on the 

 tropical parts of the west coast of Africa, espe- 

 cially in Guinea and Congo, where it is called 

 maha. It is also cultivated to some extent in 

 gardens and coffee plantations in South America, 

 where it has been introduced from Africa. It 

 belongs to a large section of the palm tribe, called 

 Cococoe, the members of which are very nume- 

 rous, (embracing fifteen genera,) and agree in 

 general character with the cocoa nut palm. It 

 is singular that all thesa palms, with the excep- 

 tion of this one and the cocoa nut, {Cocos 

 ntici/era,) should be confined to America, and 



