104 THE PALMS OF ASIA. 



into the centre of the tree near tlie top, from 

 which the liquor issues, and is conducted hy a 

 small channel, made of a bit of palmj'ra tree 

 leaf, into a pot suspended to receive it. This 

 juice is cither drunk fresh from the tree, or 

 hoilod down into sugar, or fermented for dis- 

 tillation, when it gives out a large portion of 

 the spirit called " paria arrack." At the age 

 of seven to ten years, when the trunk is about 

 four feet high, it begins to yield juice, and con- 

 tinues productive for twenty or twenty-five 

 years. The juice is extracted during the 

 months of November, December, January, and 

 February, during which period each tree is 

 reckoned to yield from 120 to 240 pints. 

 The fluid is obtained chiefly during the 

 night, and is afterwards boiled down before 

 fermentation takes place. The thick sjrup 

 thus procured is mixed with sand and stones to 

 the amount of ten or fifteen per cent, to make 

 it more solid, portable, and heavy. Every 

 twelve pints of the juice is boiled down to one 

 of ;700?', or jaggJi.er}/, and four pounds of jagghery 

 yield one of good sugar in powder, so that the 

 average produce of each tree is seven or eight 

 pounds of sugar annually.* Jagghery is 



* This is llr. Roylc's statoniont, (" lUustrntions of Hiina- 

 layaii IJutuny,") and is rcileiutcil by Dr. LiiuUcy; but Uric 



