48 



THE COCOANU? TEEE. 



The Chinese, who are the principal manufacturers 

 of the oil, readily give a picuJ of it in exchange for 

 710 ripe nute, being about 563 piculs of oil out of the 

 total produce of the plantation of 100 orlongs. The 

 priee of cocoaniit oil has been so high in the London 

 market as from £30 to £36 per ton, or about an 

 average of ten dollars per picul. But it las! year 

 to 15 dollars per picul in Penang, and is nowat9<lr>. 

 It is said, that English casks have not been found 

 tight enough for the conveyance of this oil to Europe, 

 but if the article is really in great demand, a method 

 will, no doubt, be discovered to obviate this inconve- 

 nience. 



So long, however, as the cultivator can obtain a 

 dollar and a half, or even one dollar for 100 nuts, he 

 will not find it profitable to make oil, unless its price 

 rises greatly. 



Soap is manufactured at Poudicherry from this oil, 

 but it is not seemingly in rt pute ; the attempt has 

 not been made in Penang with a view to a market. 



There is scarcely any coir rope manufactured at 

 this island, so that the profit which might (were la- 

 bour cheaper) rise from this application of the cocoa- 

 nut fibre, is lost. The shell makes good charcoal ; 

 the leaves are scarcely put to any purpose, the nipah 

 being a superior material for thatching. 



The cocoanut tree is exceedingly apt to be struck 

 by lightning, and in such cases, it is generally des- 

 troyed. It is a dangerous tree, therefore, to have 

 close to a house. 



If the trees are widely planted, Coffee may be culti- 

 vated under their shade. It is generally believed that 

 the extracting of toddy from this tree hastens its 

 decline. 



The Nicobar and Lancavi Islands used partly to 

 supply the Penang market with this iudispeusable ar- 



