210 REVIEWS — THREE VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 



struck a spear four or five inelies deep into the thick firm end of the 

 stalk of the leaf, about six inches above its junction v^ith the trunk, 

 and on drawing it back a stream of pure clear water gushed out, 

 about a quart of which we caught in a pitcher, and all drank of it on 

 the spot. It was clear, cool, and perfectly sweet. On further ex- 

 amination I found that there was no filtration of the water through 

 any part of the plant, as I had been led to suppose when I had seen 

 water drawn by Sir William Hooker from one of the specimens in the 

 palm house at Kew. There was a kind of natural cavity, or cistern, 

 at the base of the stalk of each of the leaves, above its union with the 

 stem, and the water which had been collected on the broad and rib- 

 bed surface of the leaf had flowed down a groove or spout on the 

 upper side of the stalk into this natural reservoir, whence it supplied 

 nutriment to the tree, and refreshment to the traveller and the lab- 

 orer. 



" But in Madagascar this tree might, with propriety, be called the 

 'builder's tree rather than the traveller's tree. Its leaves form the 

 thatch of all the houses on the eastern side of the island. The stems 

 of its leaves form the partitions, and often sides of the houses : and 

 the hard outside bark [this tree again has no bark, but the outer 

 layer of all endogenous trees is harder than the interior, and is some- 

 times confounded with the bark of exogenous trees like those of our 

 forests,] is stripped from the inner and soft part, and having been 

 beaten out flat, is laid for flooring ; and I have seen the entire floor 

 of a long well-built house covered entirely with its bark, each piece 

 being at least eighteen inches wide, and twenty or thirty feet long. 

 The leaf, when green, is used as a wrapper for packages, and keeps 

 out the rain. Large quantities are also sold every morning in the 

 markets, as it serves the purpose of table cloth, dishes, and plates at 

 meals ; and folded into certain forms is used instead of spoons and 

 drinking vessels." 



The magnificent and useful tree here described is well represented 

 in the work by a wood-cut from a photograph. It belongs to the 

 same natural family as the Strelitzia, of which several species, one of 

 which is as large as this TJrania, may be seen in English hot-houses, and 

 the plantains and bananas which are such familiar objects in tropical 

 countries. No plants, excepting the palms, can compare with these 

 in the splendour of their foliage. 



It seems from Mr. Ellis's observations that at least the ruling tribe 



