Feb. 1, 1885.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON THE COCO-DE-MEK. 305 



The coco-de-mer grows in every kind of soil, but attains its greatest 

 size and beauty in the deep moist gorges of the mountains, where a rich 

 bed of humus favours the growth of that as well as of other palms, 

 some of which greatly surpass it in height. By the seaside and in 

 situations much exposed to the wind, the coco-de-mer presents a some- 

 what barren aspect ; its leaves, being renewed so slowly, are withered 

 and rent, and the trees might be supposed to be dying. It has been 

 observed that, at the discovery of the islands which produce it, vast 

 forests of the coco-de-mer existed. The height and smoothness of the 

 trunk rendered it a less difficult matter to cut down a high tree than to 

 climb it, to obtain its fruit, and thousands have thus wantonly been 

 destroyed ; so that, a few years ago, hundreds of male trees might be 

 found without a single female among them. Many fires have a] so 

 occurred in these woods, and a vast number have been destroyed in the 

 conflagrations which have taken place. Five or six years ago, a fire 

 broke out at Praslin, which continued for several weeks, blazing up 

 again and again after it was thought to be extinguished ; and by this a 

 very considerable number of these trees perished. On l'lle Ronde not 

 a plant remains. Curieuse, occupied as an establishment for the treat- 

 ment of lepers, has a considerable number of fine young trees ; and as 

 the island is Government property, it is to be hoped that strict injunc- 

 tions will be given to preserve every remaining tree, and also to plant 

 others. If this is not done, it is not improbable that, a few generations 

 hence, this unique and interesting palm will no longer be found. Its 

 extremely slow growth has prevented most persons from planting it. 

 There are not, perhaps, a score of trees in all the islands except in 

 Praslin and Curieuse. 



The growth of many young plants is stopped by cutting out the 

 unopened leaves as fast as they appear for the making of hats ard other 

 objects. These are called " cceurs-de-cocos," and are very pretty objects. 

 The leaflets are so compactly packed together, that they seem to form a 

 solid mass, as smooth as ivory. Their edges are of a most beautiful 

 delicate green, and the lamina of a clear, pale straw-colour. They form 

 a material of unequalled quality for the making of hats and bonnets, 

 and could they be supplied in sufficient quantity, a large trade in them 

 might be carried on. A large bonnet maker in England, who cleaned 

 some for a lady from Seychelles, was particularly struck with the excel- 

 lency of the material of which they were made, and said he could 

 insure a ready sale for any quantity of it. The splitting of the leaflets 

 into strips of the desired breadth is a much more difficult affair than 

 straw splitting, on account of the transverse fibres which cross it. 

 This operation is performed with considerable skill by those accustomed 

 to it. They employ a simple little machine, made of a piece of hard 

 wood, with a sharp blade fixed in it. This blade is set at the required 

 distance from a raised edge, which determines the width of the strip 

 and keeps it straight. The strips, however fine, can only be cut singly. 



