TUE PALMS OF ASIA. 135 



abundant one. The pith of the tree, Avhen ground 

 down in a mortar, deposits the farina imme- 

 diately, and without difficulty. Unlike, also, 

 to the other large sources of farinaceous food, 

 this tree exists in great abundance, and pro- 

 bably such is the extent of the native forests 

 of it, that centuries nuist have passed away 

 before the first savage inhabitants were necessi- 

 tated to have recourse to any mode of culture. 

 The sago palm is not, therefore, as in the case 

 of the cerealia and the other useful and nutri- 

 tive plants, multiplied only by the industry 

 of man, through the medium of one tribe, 

 known everywhere by one common name ; but 

 each tribe has its own vernacular term for it 

 and very commonly a distinct name for the 

 farina obtained from it. Thus, in the Ternati 

 language, the tree is called Huda ; in that of 

 Amboyna, it is termed Lapia, and the faring, 

 Sarju-maruka ; in that of Banda, the word for the 

 tree is Eomiho, and for the farina Sanriyera. 



It remains to give a sketch of the sago 

 harvest, (if such an expression may be used,) 

 and of the modes of preparing the farina 

 for consumption, together with the secondary 

 uses to which this palm is applied. There is 

 no regular fixed season for extracting the pith, 

 which is taken as occasion refj[uires, and as the 



