OF THE COCO-NUT TREE, IIS 
degeneration is not very evident, it cannot invariably be 
attributed to a reduction of temperature. The Coco tree 
is much cultivated on some parts of the east coast of Ame- 
rica ; from the river St Francisco to the Bar of Maman- 
guape, or from about 7° SO' to 10° S. Lat., being about 94 
leagueSj the Brazilian coast is with few breaks planted 
with Coco trees. The small island of Itamaraca, which is 
only three leagues in length, yields annually about 360,000 
nuts *. But perhaps this palm is no where so extensively 
cultivated as in Ceylon, and the following remarks regard- 
ing its products are intended more immediately to apply to 
the tree as it grows in that island. The Coco tree is culti- 
vated both in the interior of Ceylon and along the flat 
country adjoining to the sea ; it thrives best, however, on 
the coast of the south-west aspect of the island, or from 
Calpenteen on the north, to Dondrahead on the south. 
About the year 1813, it was estimated that 10,000,000 
trees grew between these two points, and that since that 
period the number has been annually increasing. The ex- 
tent of coast between Dondrahead and Calpenteen is about 
184 miles; the whole circuit of the island is 754 miles. 
Except cinnamon, the products of the Coco tree form the 
chief staple commodities of Ceylon t. The Maldive Islands 
produce great quantities of coco-nuts ; they are there said 
to be the price of labour. In Congo, this palm forms one 
of the greatest blessings in nature J:. 
• Koster's Description of Brazil. 
^ I have attempted to detail the leading facts regarding the natural his- 
tory of the Cinnamon tree, the mode of preparation, and trade of Cinna- 
mon, in two papers, one of which is published in the Transactions of the 
Royal Society of London, for the year 1817. The other is inserted in the 
10th volume of Dr Thomson's Annals of Philosophy. 
$ System of Geography, by Malte Brun, vol. iv. p. 298. 
VOL. V. H 
