THE TAUR PALM. 
53 
but cheering to the traveller’s eye. The chatta, or 
umbrella-tree, begins here to be plentiful ; it is as 
like an umbrella as possible when it happens to take 
that particular figure, which it very frequently does, 
forming a perfect concave canopy upon an upright 
branchless stem, while its proportions are sometimes 
so perfect as to induce the idea that nature had 
called in the aid of art to correct her luxuriance, and 
direct it into the more agreeable trammels of exact 
proportion and elegant uniformity. It is, however, 
sometimes extremely fantastic in its growth, the stem 
twisting into the most extraordinary convolutions, 
and presenting the very antithesis of uniformity and 
harmonious proportion. It is nevertheless always 
beautiful, even in its extravagance, and is perhaps, 
next to the banyan-tree, the most singular produc- 
tion of the vegetable kingdom. 
The taur-palm, or toddy-tree, is likewise very 
abundant in the neighbourhood of Tondy. From this 
tree a juice is extracted in surprising quantities, 
which is converted into sugar. One small trunk, about 
nine inches in diameter, will yield several quarts of 
this liquor within the twenty-four hours. When 
drunk at early dawn, it is very refreshing, and may 
be taken in any quantity with perfect impunity ; but 
as soon as the sun begins to exert his influence, it 
immediately ferments, and in a short time becomes 
exceedingly intoxicating. It is scarcely less strong 
than proof spirit, and is the more dangerous, because 
it still retains, under its change of property, its very 
agreeable flavour. The lower classes in India, who, 
like the lower classes of most other countries, are fond 
f 3 
