COtOA'Wr TREE. 



305 



of fruit, much larger than he had ever seen in 

 Ids wtt^untiy ^tl^itnteiiora of green, yellow, 

 mi T^d^ eolcmr&y Hud oit^s ^ippa^tfy Itkitk^ 



There were no human beings on the coast ; 

 but wild lieasfp, such as leopards, liears, sloth*, 

 and elephants innumerable. To climb the cocoa- 

 nut tree, (the promised source of health,) was 

 fb^ tmkii<owtt^ and ecmildmd ^ood Ihtpsfmr 

 of mortal man ; but, as fire liad been pointed 

 out as the means of obtaining its fruit, the rajah's 

 followers procured two dry sticks, which having 

 prepared, by pointing the end of one, and making 

 ^ mtM MU in ^e^nlMdle 6f tH« o&ei^, ^ 

 Tfeception of the pointed stick, firiction produced 

 fire, wliirh was immediately increased, by the 

 application of dried leaves to the emitted flame. 



ScaxGely had an jbdiir tikpsed, aftce 

 Kad been kindled i& Mi pM^ of the 



coast and the m(}sf valuable boon of nature to the 

 Indian world, ere, with a tremendous crash, it 

 becanic prostrate upon the earth, whence, from 

 its capacious and verdant crest, crept out crea- 

 tutes lMniii$eiraljib ; laife blue s^oorplo^d^, hit&m 

 and yellow cen^pedes, snakes of various liues, 

 (mxk tbe Poloi^ to the less dreadful lat-snake ; 



* The Singalese language has no significatlott for brown, 

 reddish, orange-coloured, scarlet, or pinli^ which are all ex- 

 pressed by the monosyllable " rat," ne^ 



