[ Rep. No. 564. ] 99 
stone exactly resembles a cocoa-nut in miniature, and contains a kernel 
within It also. It is sold in the streets of Rio> and is called the Cocoa 
licu.^^ 
The Gomutus, or black-rope Palm of swampy woods in the East Indies 
is asserted to be the most valuable substitute for flax and hemp, discovered 
by the celebrated Doctor Roxburgh. Under his superintendence, it was 
extensively propagated in the dominions of the East India company and 
Its propagation was warmly encouraged by the British Government itself. 
The native names of the Palm itself are written Anaii and Anou • and 
their names for the black fibres, are written iju and ejoo. From these 
horse-hair like fibres are made the cordage called Black-rope, and Palm- 
tree cordage. '‘Each tree produces six leaves in the year, and each leaf 
yields ten and a half ounces of the fibres, which makes the annual produce 
of each palm nearly four pounds. Some produce full one pound of the 
fibres in each leaf. They grow from the base of the footstalks of the 
leaves, and embrace completely the trunk of the tree. The fibres and 
leaves are easily removed without injuring the tree.’’ Thus says Rox¬ 
burgh, Trans. Soc. Arts, Lond. vol. 24 , p. 152 . Crawford says: «It is 
used for every purpose of .cordage in India, domestic and naval; and is 
superior in quality, cheapness, and duraUlity, to the cordage manufac¬ 
tured from the fibrous husk of the cocoa-nut.” In Ceylon, the fishermen 
make their lines of single fibres, tied to each other until of sufiicient 
length. It also produces much sago, sugar, toddy or wine, and thatch. 
Botanists differ in their names, some call it Saguevis Rumphii; others, 
Arenga saccharifera, and also, Borassus gomutus. But the most wonder¬ 
ful and useful of the fibrous-leaved palms, flourishes in the inundated is¬ 
lands of the Delta of the Oronoco; this is the Mauritia flexiosa, whose na¬ 
tive name is written three ways, viz: Murichi, Moriche, and Mariehi. In¬ 
deed, to form an adequate idea of the astonishing and diversified utility of 
this Palm, it is necessary to read all the details given by the Padre de 
Gumilla, in his History of the Oronoco. He truly calls it the tree of life of 
the Guarumg, Indians, as they obtain all the necessaries of life from this 
palm alone. During one-half of the year these islands are covered by the 
freshets of the river, and during the remaining six months, twice a day by 
the tides of the sea. The dwellings or villages of these Indians are ele¬ 
vated on platforms made of this palm. Its trunk contains the finest fari¬ 
naceous matter. Their cordage and clothing are made of its leaves. 
To me, the greatest recommendation of these palms, are the facts that 
the first grows in marshy spots ; that the second thrives in swampy 
woods; and that the third flourishes in the midst of the waters; and that 
hence they may be all propagated in similar worthless sites of tropical 
Florida, 
H. PERRINE, 
Washington, February 10 , 1838 . 
