BETEL TREE. 
217 
of its nut. This tree, which is remarkably tall, 
straight, and slender, is crowned with six or eight 
leaves, each about six feet long, and winged, or com- 
posed of two ranges of straight lanceolate leaflets, 
placed opposite to each other. The side of the 
common leaf-stalk is angular ; and it expands at its 
base into a tough sheath, which encompasses the 
trunk of the tree, and is of so strong and close a tex- 
ture, that the natives use it to hold their victuals, 
and to contain their arrack, which it does as ef- 
fectually as a bladder. The nuts grow in clusters 
at the top of the tree, like those of the cocoa ; but 
are not larger than a small hen’s egg : between their 
outward bark and the stone, is contained a succulent 
and fibrous pulp, which the natives call pinangue , 
and which they mix occasional^ with their betel ; 
but the nut is the principal object of their attention, 
and these from their general use form a great article 
of traffic among them. 
The areca or betel-nut is not chewed alone, but 
mixed with the leaf of a species of pepper, which, 
from being constantly used for this purpose, has ob- 
tained the name of betel-leaf ; and the natives are 
said to prepare their areca by cutting it in slices, 
sprinkling it with slacked lime, and then wrapping 
it in some of these leaves. This preparation, when 
first chewed, tints the saliva of a fine reddish purple, 
which they eject, as it contains the greatest portion 
of the lime : the remainder they keep in their 
mouths as we do tobacco, till it no longer retains 
any flavour. 
