CHAP. III.] 



THE PALMS. 



109 



shrubs abound they render the forest absolutely im- 

 passable, even to the elephant and to animals of great 

 size and force. 



The family of trees which, from their singularity as 

 well as their beauty, most attract the eye of the traveller 

 in the forests of Ceylon, are the Palms, which occur in 

 rich profusion, although, of upwards of six hundred 

 species which are found in other countries, not more 

 than ten or twelve are indigenous to the island. 1 At the 

 head of these is the coco-nut, every particle of whose 

 substance, stem, leaves, and fruit, the Singhalese turn to 

 so many accounts, that one of their favourite topics to a 

 stranger is to enumerate the hundred uses to which they 

 tell us this invaluable tree is applied. 2 



The most majestic and wonderful of the palm tribe is 

 the talpat or talipat 3 , the stem of which sometimes attains 

 the height of 100 feet, and each of its enormous fan-like 

 leaves, when laid upon the ground, will form a semicircle 

 of 16 feet in diameter, and cover an area of nearly 200 

 superficial feet. The tree flowers but once, and dies ; 



1 Mr. Thwaites has enumerated 

 fifteen species (including the coco- 

 nut, and excluding the Nipa fruticans, 

 which more properly belongs to the 

 family of screw-pines): viz. Areca, 4; 

 Caryota, 1 ; Calamus, 5 ; Borassus, 1 ; 

 Corypha, 1 ; Phoenix, 2 ; Cocos, 1. 



2 The following are only a few of 

 the countless uses of this invaluable 

 tree. The leaves, for roofing, for mats, 

 for baskets, torches or chules, fuel, 

 brooms, fodder for cattle, manure. 

 The stein of the leaf, for fences, for 

 pingoes (or yokes) for carrying bur- 

 thens on the shoulders, for fishing- 

 rods, and innumerable domestic uten- 

 sils. The cabbaye, or cluster of 

 unexpanded leaves, for pickles and 

 preserves. The sap, for toddy, for 

 distilling arrack, and for making 

 vinegar, and sugar. The unformed 

 nut, for medicine and sweetmeats. 

 The young nut and its milk, for drink- 

 ing, for dessert ; the yreen husk for 



preserves. The nut, for eating, for 

 curry, for milk, for cooking. The oil, 

 for rheumatism, for anointing the hair, 

 for soap, for candles, for light ; and 

 the poonak, or refuse of the nut after 

 expressing the oil, for cattle and 

 poultry. The shell of the nut, for 

 drinking cups,charcoal, tooth-powder, 

 spoons, medicine, hookahs, beads, 

 bottles, and knife-handles. The coir, or 

 fibre which envelopes the shell within 

 the outer husk, for mattresses, cush- 

 ions, ropes, cables, cordage, canvass, 

 fishing-nets, fuel, brushes, oakum, 

 and floor mats. The trunk, for rafters, 

 laths, railing, boats, troughs, furni- 

 ture, firewood ; and when very young, 

 the first shoots, or cabbage, as a vege- 

 table for the table. The entire list, 

 with a Singhalese enthusiast, is an 

 interminable narration of the virtues 

 of his favourite tree. 



3 Corypha umbraculifera, Linn. 



