VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 191 



I also saw the Sag-on wahr * tree frequently ; from it sag-o is, also 

 obtained, which is said to be even better, but it only yields small 

 quantities. The tree is mostly used to extract from it the common 

 toddy, which beverage is only obtained from the longest stalks 

 of the male blossoms. 



The stem is thinner than that of the coco tree and not as 

 high and is from the root to the crown covered with the sheaths 

 of dead leaves, which in this specimen are more of an oblong 

 shape ; underneath the crown there is a tissue of sheaths which 

 are not quite dead yet, representing the aspect of burnt hair, they 

 are of a red-black colour. From these sheaths strong ropes are 

 made. Between this hairy tissue stand some prickles, which are 

 about three feet long with sharp corners, and about eight lines 

 thick, horny, and standing in a slantingly erect position. They 

 are used instead of pens by the Malays. 



The real botanical description I made afterwards, in 

 accordance with Mr. v. Linne's system. It agrees with Caryota 

 in Rumph, Herb Amboin, the first part from page 54 to 64 is 

 an explicit description, and Tab. 13 of the same drawing 

 (is correct), but the small leaves in the drawing are wrong, 

 because they are all torn at the ends and not pointed.f The 

 bundles of fruit are probably only drawn few in number for the 

 sake of distinctness, because their number amounts to more than 

 100 in every bunch, male as well as female blossoms, which grow 

 on one tree but in separate bundles, only the male blossoms 

 always hang downwards. The remaining sheaths of these trees 

 furnish gardens for many parasitical plants, which in some cases 

 covered the whole stem. The crowns of these trees are 

 generally more erect and thinner or do not contain so many 

 leaves, which however are longer than those of the coco trees. 



There were a few Cycas trees growing here, but they were 

 only about two feet high, and looked veiy weak in comparison 

 to those which I had seen growing wild near Madras and Ceylon. 



I also saw another kind of palm here,| first in the garden of 

 a Malay, but afterwards frequently near the mountains. It is 

 very much like the areca; although I could not find any male 

 blossoms, I found the fruit to be like the areca nut; it was 



* Kabong Palm. Arenga Saccharifera, Lab. 



t Koenig is \\Tong here in comparing these two very distinct palms. 



X Nibong, Oncosperma figiUaria. 



