ciiAi>. xr. DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAVELLER'S TREE. 303 



fructification, seemed to be enclosed in a tough firm spathe, 

 like those of the cocoa nut ; but the subsequent development 

 was more like that of the fruit of the plantain. When the 

 pods, or seed vessels, of which there were forty or fifty on 

 each bunch, were ripe, they burst open, and each pod was seen 

 to enclose thirty or more seeds, in shape like a small bean, 

 but enveloped in a fine silky fibre of the most brilliant blue 

 or purple colour.* 



But this tree has been most celebrated for containing, even 

 during the most arid season, a large quantity of pure fresh 

 water, supplying to the traveller the place of wells in the 

 desert. Whenever I inquired of the natives, they always 

 afiirmed that such was the fact, and that so abundant and 

 pure was the water, that when the men were at work near the 

 trees, they did not take the trouble to go to the stream for 

 water, but drew off and drank the water from the tree. Having 

 formerly been somewhat sceptical on this point, I determined 

 to examine some of the trees ; and during my journey this 

 morning, we stopped near a clump of the trees. One of my 

 bearers struck a spear four or five inches deep into the thick 

 firm end of the stalk of the leaf, about six inches above its 

 junction with 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 

 cool, clear, and perfectly sweet. On further examination, .1 

 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 W^illiam 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 



* A specimen of these beautiful seeds, given to me afterwards by Mr. Dow- 

 land, at Mauritius, is now deposited in the museum of the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew. 



