THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 527 



in the Soiith Seas. Sometimes the Tahitians, after the oil ceases 

 to collect in the vessel, put the ko-nel into a bag, and submit it to 

 the action of pressure by a rude lever press ; but the oil thus obtain- 

 ed is considered inferior to that procured by the heat of the sun" 

 (Seemann). Coco-nut oil in India is used chiefly for culinary pur- 

 poses, burning in lamps, etc. The oil is at first odourless, and v^ith 

 a slight flavour which is agreeable to the taste. It soon turns 

 rancid, however, and in this condition is unfit for food. Coconut 

 oil is perfumed by macerating in it the blossoms of fragrant flowers 

 and substances. " In the South Seas the natives, though prefer- 

 ring fresh and perfumed oil for anointing the head and body, do not 

 hesitate to make use of rancid oil for these purposes. In Samoa 

 certain kinds of tapa, or bark cloth, are alwaj^s treated with oil 

 before they are suitable for wearing as clothing, so that to those 

 who have cruised among the islands of the Pacific the smell of 

 rancid coco-nut oil always brings to the minds visions of brown 

 skinned natives and thatch-roofed huts nestling beneath groves of 

 coconut palms. The natives of Guam still use coconut oil for 

 anointing the hair ; but with the custom of wearing clothes that of 

 anointing the body has died out, and the oil is used oi\\j for mas- 

 saging the body in case of sickness. Though the use of petroleum 

 is now general on the island, coconut oil is still sometimes used for 

 illuminating. Until recently certain people paid their taxes partly 

 in oil, which was used for lighting the tribunal. Nearly every 

 house on the island has its little shrine, where before the patron 

 saint a lamp of coco-nut oil is alwaj^s kept burning. This lamp 

 consists of. an ordinary drinking glass filled with water, upon which 

 the oil is poured. A wick projecting from a float is fed by the oil, 

 and the water keeps the glass cool" (Saffbrd). The oil is also ex- 

 ported to Europe and the United States where it is used for the 

 manufacture of soap and candles. The chief sources of coconut 

 oil are Ceylon and the Madras Presidency, especiall}^ the 

 district of Cochin. That which is shipped from Cochin bears 

 generally a higher price than that from Cejdon. Soap made from 

 coco-nut oil is more soluble in salt water than that made from 

 other oils or fats, and is consquently much used on seagoing- 

 vessels. One objectionable feature of soaps made from this oil 

 is the disagreeable rancid odou^; which they usually leave on 

 the skin after washing with them. The most serious difliculty 

 encountered b}^ soap makers is the elimination of fatty acids con- 

 tained in it. To remove these the oil is heated with lye, an emul- 

 sion is made and the oil extracted from the mixture by means of a 

 separator and receiver. Coco-nut oil is not usually emplo3^ed in 

 soap making but is added to other oils for the purpose of producing 

 quickly solidifying soaps containing a large proportion of 

 water. 



