( i0 ) 
but it is not food only that thefe trees fupply 
to the inhabitants of the warm climates : the 
banana adminifters to their wants by the 
fhade of it's leaves, the fize of w T hich is. often 
eight feet long, and three feet broad. It is 
moft interefting to read the accounts given of 
the vegetables in thofe luxuriant regions, 
which thefe trees, among others of equal or 
more extenfive ufe, inhabit. The cocoa-nut 
tree feems to merit a place in the firft rank ; 
and Dr. Thunberg tells us of two fpecies of 
palm-tree in Ceylon, the boraffus flabelli- 
formis, and licuala fpinofa, the leaves of which 
are ufed without any further preparation than 
feparating and cutting them even, for writing 
upon ; the method of performing which is to 
carve with a fine pointed ftyle the letters upon 
the leaf, and then rub them over with a fine 
charcoal, which gives them the appearance of 
having been engraved : thus they write all 
public edicts and letters, and form books by 
ftringing feveral flips of thefe leaves together, 
and ornament them by figures engraved in the 
fame manner as the letters': one of thefe books 
Dr. Thunberg brought with him to Europe. 
The leaves of the licuala palm are alfo ufed for 
umbrellas; one fingle leaf is faid to be fufficierit 
