THE PALMS OF ASIA. 103 



We have, perhaps, no more striking instance of 



such perversion tlian in the case of the cocoa 



nut, certainly one of the most extensively useful 



of all the vegetable tribes, yet rendered most 



pernicious in its abuse for the production of 



a hurtful intoxicating drink. And not only in 



regard to temporal things does man thus abuse 



the Divine mercies, but God's greatest and 



best gift — when he " spared not his own Son, 



but delivered him up for us all" — even this 



wonderful gift, intended for their salvation, 



do men pervert to their own destruction ; for 



" this is the condemnation, that light is come 



into the world, and men loved darkness rather 



than light, because their deeds were evil." 



Phoenix sylvestris, a species allied to the 

 date palm, is one of the most common palms of 

 India, especially in its more arid portions. It 

 is called Khitjjoor by the natives, and the date 

 tree by Europeans, from its resemblance in 

 appearance to the true date palm. It has a 

 tall, pretty thick trunk, and large yellowish or 

 reddish fruit. Its principal use is for the palm 

 wine or toddy, which it yields, and in the pro- 

 duction of which it has perhaps the greatest 

 share of any in our Indian possessions. The 

 mode of obtaining it is by removing the lower 

 leaves and their sheaths, and cutting a notch 



