38 Proceedings of the Eoynl Irish Academy. 



2. The Origls of the Ikisu Tropical Drift. 



The stranding of tropical seeds and fruits on the Irish Atlantic coasts in 

 considerable variety, and over a long series of years, having been established 

 beyond all doubt by the evidence just given, the question arises — by what 

 means did they reach our shores ? Were they introduced by human agency, 

 direct or indirect ? or was their transport over some 4000 miles of ocean 

 effected solely by cuiTents and drifts. 



Taking first the hypothesis of human agency, it must be admitted that 

 some of the seeds, notably those of Entada and Guilandina, are objects of 

 curiosity, and are not infrequently collecte'd by travellers and sailoi-s, so that 

 their presence, at least in small quantity, on board of vessels engaged in the 

 West Indian and Brazil trades, may be assumed. Moreover, these particular 

 seeds, as well a.s the seeds of Xlucuna, were at one time articles of com- 

 merce, for use either as drugs or in the arts. Thus Sloane, speaking of 

 Entada in the first volume of his "Natural History of Jamaica," 1707, tells 

 us that the bean is a drug, "and, therefore, merchandise," and that the 

 " mealy pjirt, being taken out at the hilus, tliey are tipt with silver, and 

 made into snuH-boxcs." In the same volume he tells us that ihe Hoi-se-Eye 

 lieans (Mucuna) are made into coat-biittons, and sometimes tipped with 

 silver. Again, in the second volume of the same work (1725), speaking of 

 the hard polished seeds of GuUnndina Bonducella, called the Asli-coloured 

 Nickar in Jamaica, from its resemblance to "a Niokar,' such as boys play 

 withal," he says the seeds are brotight "very plentifully into Europe for 

 making buttons." Charles de I'Ecluse (Olusius), the famous scholar and 

 botanist, describing these seeds in 1605,* says that hardly a ship comes back 

 from Africa, America, or other of the warmer countries, but brings home 

 these nuts. Their medical virtues are set out at great length by the Italian 

 botanist, Giovanni Pona, in his description of Monte Baldo, published at 

 Venice in 1G17. Here they are said to be an antidote against all poisons, a 

 cure for epilepsy, for twisting of the mouth ((oHnra ddla bocca), for scorpion 

 bite, and for quartan fevers ; and when worn by children assure them against 

 ill-fortune (portato a dosso da' fanciidli ffli prescrva da mali cvenli).' As for 



' A provincial word for the marble or ' ' taw " which boys ' ' nick " or propel by a fillip 

 of the upper thamb-joint in the game of marbles. 



* " Rxoiicorum Libri decern,'" Lib. iii, cap. xv. 



* I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. A. F. Wilmott of the British Museum for a 

 tnuiacript of this pa.<»age (see Appendix B for original t«xt). The rcpntation of the 

 nut has travelled with it to the Scotch Hebrides. Martin, in his " Western Islands," 

 telLs us that it is hong about children's necks in the Harries as an amulet .igainst witch- 

 craft or the evil eye. 



