VOL. XVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SlQ 



atnbo by the Brachmans, which grows above 40 feet in height, and 18 in thick- 

 ness, exuding an odoriferous gummy substance ; its leaves and root are of an 

 aromatic quality; the flowers grow in clusters like those of the vine, are penta- 

 petalous, white, and marked within with a yellow spot, and a honey spicy style, 

 to which succeeds the fruit, of the figure of a kidney, as large as a goose egg, 

 first green and checquered with white points, then yellowish, and afterwards of 

 a golden colour, with a thin downy skin ; the stone is oblong, flattish, and 

 lanuginous, the kernel whereof resembles that of an almond ; of these there 

 are as many varieties in India, as peaches and plums in Europe: the wood is in 

 use among the natives in burning their dead bodies, to which it is consecrated, 

 and for making their coffins or urns. The Brachmans adorn their habitations 

 with the boughs on festival days, they rub their teeth with the leaves, and use 

 them as they do the betel and faufel, the first of the pepper, the latter of the 

 palm kind ; the gum is given in all sorts of fluxes. The fruit is either eaten 

 out of wine, or pickle, or in conserve, sometimes stuft with fresh ginger, 

 garlic, mustard, &c. and sprinkled with salt, oil and vinegar, and so eaten with 

 rice and other meats, as we do gurchens and olives. They make a meal of the 

 dried kernels, of which they prepare several sorts of meat. 



To this we might add the histories of many other exotic and rare trees, de- 

 scribed and elegantly figured in this 4th part; as, the adamaran, a sort of 

 almond tree, of which the Indians make cakes, milky emulsions, and an oil by 

 expression ; it bears fruit three times in the year. Panem-palka, a species of 

 nutmeg, which the Turkish and Jewish merchants sometimes substitute instead 

 of the true, with the mace on it, and sell the oil for genuine. The samstravadi, 

 with the flowers and fruit, with which the ethnic and superstitious pilgrims deck 

 their bodies, after having consecrated them; the Portuguese call it rosairos, 

 numbering their prayers with them, instead of beads; it is a sort of plum, 

 called jambos. Paenoe, of which, when young, the Indians make their masts, 

 and entire vessels of the grown trunks, capable of holding 6o men; they 

 flourish above 300 years, and afford a sort of gum anime or copal, used by the 

 natives as frankincense in their sacrifices. The timber is not easily subject to 

 the worm. Poerinsii, a sort of soap-tree, with the fruit of which they wash ; 

 and make their combs and musical instruments of the wood. Ponga, like the 

 tataiba of Piso, or the fustic-wood tree. Ponna, distilling a substance like the 

 guttagamba, or gummi gotte, with which it agrees in many qualities. Tsierou- 

 ponna, called kina in the island of Ceylon. Perin-toddali a sort of zyzyphus 

 or jujube distilling the common lacca. Ravapou, a second kind of arbor tristis, 

 a-kin to the jasmins ; this is very fragrant, and expands on the rising of the 

 sun, Bengieiri, a wood resembling the lignum moluccense or panave. Aria 



