THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 943 



above the other until they amount to about 15 or attain to about 

 half an inch in thickness. The mats are exposed in the sun to 

 dry, being covered at night and protected from the rains and 

 dews." The tough leathery kind of preserved pulp made from the 

 remaining fruits gathered at the end of the season, is much inferior 

 to the other, and is called Tot Punatoo. The pulp is preserved in 

 ola-baskets or bags by being hung up in the smoke. It is 

 generally eaten plain or mixed with gruel made from the pounded 

 farina of the young Palmyra seedlings and with cocoanut kernel. 

 Rumphius' ' graphic account of the way in which Punatoo is 

 prepared, is well worth being quoted in this place : "In making 

 ' Punata ' more labour is required, for after the ripe fruits, which 

 fall from the tree from July to September, have been collected, the 

 stalks and the cvips are twisted off with the hands ; the outer rind 

 is stripped off, and the peeled fruit are washed in water, and 

 cleansed from the adhering fibres and earth ; they are then pressed 

 out, and I'ubbed for a long time with other limpid water, until all 

 the yellow juice has been drawn out ; this is sometimes repeated 

 twice or thrice, lest the juice should be lost ; and it assumes a 

 thick consistency ; and with a hooked stick they cleanse it from all 

 the fibres of the shell ; and then the}^ prepare a machine made 

 of sticks, which is here called Parra Parra, by the Malays 

 Lante Lante, and in Malabar Pandel. On this machine they spread 

 large palm mats from 14 to 16 cubits long, on which they then 

 pour out the liquor so thick, that scarcel}^ a leaf of the mat can be 

 seen ; they then leave it to divj for one day and on the next day 

 they pour fresh juice, which is again left to drj^, after repeating 

 the same labour until this cake has acquired the thickness 

 of three fingers ; which labour is generally continued for 15 or 16 

 days ; but these mats are folded up during night, and are covered 

 with leaves to preserve it from cats and dogs, who are exceedingly 

 fond of this cake. When this becomes as hard as cheese, it is 

 cut into square pieces or cakes, and they raise them gently from 

 the mats with a knife and place them in layers in baskets, and 

 sprinkle the layers with water in which salt has been dissolved. 



^ Rumphius, G-. E., Herbarium amboinense. Amstelod. IZil-lTuS, Vol. I. Cap. IX. 



