THE NIJBONG. 35 



bers, and some herbs, are also furnished from these 

 gardens for the tables of the Europeans. In them are 

 also grown abundance of sugar-cane and pine-apples 

 for the Malays, who rarely take the trouble of culti- 

 vating these things themselves. Some kinds of fern 

 (paku), the yet unopened fronds of which when boiled 

 become an excellent vegetable, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the cabbage of the various palms, are preferred 

 to most others of the production of the island by 

 European residents. The fern which produces it is a 

 strong growing species, (Marrattia) plentiful on the 

 banks of the rivers : several kinds are eaten, but this 

 is- preferred. 



Of all the vegetables produced in the island, the cab- 

 bage of the palm, called ' nibong,' is the most esteemed ; 

 it is taken from the heart of the tree, being formed 

 of the unexpanded leaves, which are of a delicate 

 whiteness, and of a very sweet, nutty flavour. It 

 is preferred to that of the cocoa nut, but is in- 

 ferior to that of the ' pinang,' or areca nut, which, 

 however, on account of the value of the tree, is very 

 rarely used, the extraction of the edible part, in all 

 cases, causing the destruction of the tree. The nibong 

 is found in great numbers near the mouths of all the 

 rivers, and besides producing the esteemed vegetable 

 above described, is very useful to the natives in house- 

 building, for forming their posts, flooring, &c. The 

 stem being perfectly round, and of about six inches 

 in diameter, no more trouble is necessary than to cut 

 down the tree, and divide the stem into the requisite 



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