58 THE GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



the Asiatic Archipelago, the Moluccas, and the 

 Philippine Islands. Its juice is obtained in large 

 quantities, by wounding the flowering spathe : it 

 yields by evaporation a kind of sugar, and by 

 fermentation an intoxicating drink. When the 

 trees are exhausted of sap, from 150 to 200 

 pounds of good sago may be obtained from the 

 trunk. The timber is extremely hard, and 

 useful for building purposes ; and from four to 

 seven pounds of strong horse-hair like fibres, 

 may be annually obtained from the leaf-stalks : 

 these are extensively used in making cordage, 

 ropes, and cables. Its fruit is very acid, ex- 

 citing severe inflammation in the mouth of those 

 who chew it ; it was the basis of the " infernal 

 water" which the Moluccas used in their Avars 

 to pour over their enemies. Another palm 

 (Borassus fldbdliformis) grows in extensive 

 groves in the valley of the Irrawaddy ; it is a 

 magnificent tree, often one hundred feet high, 

 remarkable for its gigantic leaves, one of which 

 would shelter twelve men. 



The celebrated betel nut is the fruit of a 

 palm, (Areca catechu,} and is chewed by the 

 Indians with the leaf of a species of pepper, 

 which together produce powerful narcotic and 

 intoxicating effects. We are told that the 

 Asiatic nations would rather forego meat and 

 drink than their favourite betel nuts, whole 

 ship-loads of which are annually exported from 

 Sumatra, Malacca, Siam, and Cochin China. 

 Vegetable ivory and palm oil are the products 

 of palms. The former is the fruit of Phytelephas 



