( 25 ) 
lii (Chamaerops and other Palms, see below). 
The seed contains a liquid of inebriating 
properties. Su-sung (a writer of the 11th 
century) states: The Ye-tsii grows in all 
departments of j^J Ling-nan. (Ling- 
nan, to the South of the Mei-ling mountains, 
at the time of the T'ang dynasty 618-907, 
comprised the modern provinces of Ivuang- 
tung and Kuang-si). The Ruang-chi (Sung 
dynasty 960-1280) says: The tree resembles 
the Kuang-lang, (Caryota sp. v. i.) has no 
branches, is several Chang high (a 
Chang=10 feet),* the leaves are like a 
bundle at its summit. The fruit "||| are as 
large as a Melon, hanging down between 
the foliage. The fruit is surrounded by a 
coarse rind like horse’s hair. Within this rind 
a very hard nut ) is found, of a roundish 
and somewhat oblong shape. Within the 
nut there is a white pulp like pork’s grease 
half an inch thick aud more, of a taste like 
walnuts. This pulp envelopes 4-5 Ko 
(about half a bottle) of a liquid l'ke milk, of 
a cooling and inebriating nature. From the 
shell different domestic utensils can be made. 
The white pulp yields sugar. The Kiao-chou- 
chi (description of Southern China) states:- 
The Ye-tsii resembles the Ilai-tsung (Ocean 
Palm v. i.). The fruit is of the size of a 
large cup and surrounded by a coarse rind 
like the Ta-fu-tsu (Areca Catechu). In 
the interior of the fruit is a potable liquor, 
which does not inebriate. The tree grows 
in the province of Yun-nan. Tsung-shi (an 
author of the Sung dynasty, 960-1280) 
repeats the above statements and adds that 
from the shell wine cups are made. If wine 
poured into such a cup, contains poison, it 
will effervesce or the vessel will burst. 
Nowadays people varnish the inside of Cocoa- 
nut cups, but then the cups lose their efficacy. 
Li-shi-clieu (the author of the Pen-ts‘ao) 
states: The Ye-tsii is the largest of fruits. 
In planting the Cocoa-nut tree a quantity of 
salt must be placed near the roots, then the 
tree will grow high and produce large fruits. 
* Mr. Sampson (Notes and Queries III p. 14S) quotes 
a Chinese author, who says, that the Copoa-nut trees 
are so high, that men cannot get at the fruit; hut they 
are gathered by the ^ Jj|jg ZK To-lo-eh 
jpn, who climb the trees for the purpose. Mr. Samp- 
son is inclined to suppose that by the To-lo-jen mon- 
keys are meant. It is true, that in some countries 
( namely in Sumatra ) monkeys are dressed to gather 
Coeoa-nuts, but in this case men are to be understood. 
At the time of the Yuan dynasty a wild tribe in the 
modern Kuang-si and Cochin China was palled 
pm 
mm To-lo-man (Man =- Southern Barbarians ) 
Cf, Puut bier's Marco Polo p. 481. 
It attains a circuit of 3-4 fathoms, a height 
of 50-60 feet. The tree resembles the 
Kuang-lang (Caryota, v. i.) the Pin-lang 
( Areca Catechu ). It is branchless ; the 
leaves are united at the summit, 4-5 feet 
long, erect, and point to the heavens. They 
resemble the Tmng-lu (v. i.) and the Feng- 
wei-tsiao (Cycas, v. i.). In the second month 
bunches of flowers appear between the 
leaves, 2-3 feet long and as large as 4-5 J-* 
Tou (a Chinese measure of corn). In the 
same manner subsequently the fruits are 
arranged in bunches, hanging down from 
the tree; the largest are of the size of a 
Watermelon, 7-8 inches long, 4-5 wide. In 
the sixth or seventh month they ripen. A 
coarse rind surrounds the fruit. Within is a 
roundish nut of a dark colour and of a thick, 
very hard shell. The nut contains a white 
pulp like snow, of an agreeable sweet taste, 
like milk. This pulp encloses an empty space, 
which is filled up by several Ko (v. s.) of a 
liquid. In boring the' fructiferous twig a 
clear fine liquid like wine flows forth. But 
afterwards it becomes muddy and spoils. 
The shell of the nut is bright, striated and 
reined. By slitting it transversely large 
domestic vessels can be made, whilst by a 
lengthwise splitting large and small spoons 
are produced. The History of the T'ang 
states, that foreigners make wine from the 
flowers of the Y r e-tsu. 
These descriptions of the Cocoa-nut given 
in the Pen-ts‘ao are very correct, as every- 
one will know, who has seen this beautiful 
and useful Palm. The husk of the fruit 
yields the fibre, from which the well known 
Coir (derived from the Indian name Coy a or 
Kail'll ) is procured, extensively employed in 
Southern countries in the manufacture of 
cordage, for matting &c. It is also generally 
known, that the hard shell is made into various 
kinds of domestic utensils. Mr. Sampson (1. 
c. p. 148), states, that in Kiung-cliou, the 
capital city of Hai-nan, great varieties of tea- 
pots, basins &c., are made from the shells, 
some simply plain and polished, others more 
or less highly ornamented with carved figures 
and of various colours ; these are the partic- 
ular articles of virtu of Kiung-chou-fu. 
As regards the antipoisonous virtue of these 
utensils, as mentioned by Chinese authors, 
this superstition exists also in Ceylon. Mr. 
Sampson quotes from Yules Cathay II p. 362 
the following: “John de Marignolli, early 
in the fourteenth century, in describing 
Adam’s garden in Ceylon, says of the Nargil 
(Cocoa-nut) : they also make from the shell 
spoons, which are antidotes to poison. — Li- 
shi-chen describes also correctly the obtain- 
ing of palm-wine from the Cocoa-tree, What 
is called palm-wine or Toddy (this is the 
U 
