﻿Skey. — On the Bitter Substance of the Karaha Nut. 319 



sliglitlj bent and extended forwards ; and all, as to muscles, inflexibly rigid. 

 He could do nothing, not even turn himself as he lay, nor drive off the sand- 

 flies (which were there in legions) from feasting on his naked body, nor scratch 

 himself when itching, nor put any food to his mouth. He was the only child 

 of his parents, who, fortunately for him, were both alive and took great care of 

 him, turning and shifting his position very often by day and night, as, from 

 his body not evenly resting, he could not possibly remain long in one position. 

 When not asleep he was laughing (if not eating), and greatly enjoyed his being 

 so placed that he could see the children at play, in which he always encouraged 

 them by his voice, often seeming the merriest of the village. I frequently sat 

 by his side during my visits, to talk with him, and to drive away the tormenting 

 sandflies, which he would beg me to do. His skin was remarkably fine and 

 ruddy — I might call it pretty — being wholly without eruption, blemish, or scar ; 

 his teeth pearly white, and voice and laugh regularly strong, hearty, and 

 ringing. His eyes were very brilliant and of an intelligent cast ; but in 

 conversing with him I always thought his intellect was not so sharp (or 

 developed) as ordinarily that of Maori boys of his age." 



This interesting account discloses the fearful nature of the poison of 

 the karaka nut, and also that the Maoris employ two distinct processes — 

 baking and washing — in their mode of preparation of this article for food ; 

 but it cannot be gathered therefrom whether both processes are necessary 

 for the removal of the poison from the kernel, and if not which is the 

 essential one. 



It will be noticed that the kernel only is spoken of as being poisonous, the 

 fruit which surrounds it in its natural and ripened state being, as is well 

 known, wholesome and pleasant, though not powerfully flavoured. 



In pursuance of my object, therefore, I gathered a quantity of the kernels 

 from which the fruit had completely rotted ofi", and after removing the woody 

 husk I bruised them very finely and put part to bake at a temperature of 

 212° for four hours, when it appeared their bitter flavour was destroyed. 



The other part I steeped in successive quantities of cold water for two days. 

 The steep-water separated from the bruised nut contained a great variety of 

 substances, those positively identified therein being approximately in the order 

 of their relative abundance, as follows : — vegetable albumen (emulsiu), casein 

 (legumin), grape sugar, gum, a bitter substance, and a tasteless essential oil, 

 which latter floated in greater part on its surface. The solid insoluble part of 

 the nut left after the successive additions and abstractions of water was nearly 

 tasteless, and completely devoid of all bitterness, and showed a resemblance in 

 chemical composition to the insoluble part of hazel nuts. 



The competence of either of the processes used by the Maoris (baking or 

 washing) in the preparation of the nut, for the decomposition or removal 



