98 "MANY ISLES AND STRANGE PLACES" 



produce from loo to 200 of these nuts, the outer part 

 of which is taken off and used for firewood. And 

 then, next to the second bark there is taken off a 

 substance Hke cotton or Hnen flax, and this is given 

 to workmen to beat, and from the flower stuffs which 

 appear like silken stuffs are made. And the coarse 

 part they spin, and make of it small cords, and of the 

 small they make large cords, and these they use for 

 the sea. Of the other bark of the said nut excellent 

 charcoal is made. After the second bark the nut is 

 good to eat. The size of the said fruit is at first 

 that of the little finger of the hand. When the said 

 nut begins to grow, water begins to be produced 

 within ; and when the nut has arrived at perfection, 

 it is full of water, so that there are some nuts which 

 will contain four and five goblets of water, which water 

 is a most excellent thing to drink, and is also like 

 rosewater, and extremely sweet. Most excellent oil 

 is made from the said nut, and thus you have eight 

 utilities from it. Another branch of the said tree they 

 do not allow to produce nuts, but they cut it in the 

 middle and give it a certain inclination ; and in the 

 morning and evening they make an opening with a 

 knife, and then they apply a certain fluid, and that 

 fluid draws out a certain juice. And these men set 

 a pot underneath and collect that juice, of which one 

 tree will produce as much as half a jug between the 

 day and the night. This they place over the fire and 



