OF FOREST-TREES. 367

belongs to the rigging of ships; in short, this single tree furnishinga great part of the world with all that even a voluptuous man can need,

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sand. He was at leisure, and of no small curiosity who counted them. But not to inquiretoo strictly and minutely into their number, the ocean about these islands most aboundswith these nuts, which are rare; the sea casts them upon the shore, or they float upon thewater, yet have I seen them from the coast of Melinde to the Cape of Guardafuy, forabove two hundred leagues : they are little lefs than a man’s head, grow two together,joined one to the other, not all along, but near two-thirds, the colour of the rind, (whichis hard, though thin) black. The Europeans make of it bodies of birds, e,g. of a Peacock,adding to it feet, neck, head, and wings, and that perfection of parts the bird designed.requires. The pulp, or kernel of this fruit is very firm, as in those that grow at land; ofvery great esteem with the natives. I have seen it sold for its weight in silver, beingesteemed a singular remedy against all diseases, particularly 3gainst poison, pounded in

a mortar (made for that purpose) with a little water, till it grows white, and so drank._

In India they make frequent use ©f this remedy, having it in abundance. So much of thePalm-tree and the Nut Maldiva*. I am now to discourse of the inestimable profit of theother sorts.

“ Palm-trees, of what species soever, have neither a thick trunk, nor boughs like othertrees. As they grow in height, their boughs come out at the top, and open to make roomfor others ; as the old ones tail, they leave an imprefsion in the tree where they were.If any have two trunks, the thing is very peculiar, and shown as notorious: I have onlyseen one or two such, in all the time and places I was in India ; One of them near thecoast of Melinde, whence I embarked for the island Pate, to see a thing so remarkable.The tree called Macomeira (from the fruit named Macoma) is the only one, that grownto the height of a man, divides herself into two trunks, each of which at the same distanceis divided into other two, so grows on, each trunk producing two, till she arrives to thatheight, the natives allow proportionable to the species. The tree called Trafulim growsthe tallest, and for height, were the thicknefs proportionable, (loftinefs is more considerablein this, than any other of the sorts) and the nature of the wood solid, and strong, mightmake a mast for a great vefsel, but it wants sufficient substance, neither are those treeswhich yield Cocoes proper for that use; in little vefsels they serve, as will be immediatelyrelated. That the most favourable situation for the growth and fertility of these trees isthe ground nearest the sea, has been said before: and if the roots reach the mud of salt-water, they thrive best with that watering. Experience hath found, that those Palm -treeswhich grow nearest houses inhabited, are the most fruitful; therefore the natives, ifpofsible, contrive to dwell in the Palm orchards, having there their goods and estates, ( as, will presently be said) their pleasure and recreation: These are the real estates in India as vineyards and oliveyards in Europe : amongst these is arable land, which they sow, and

* The Sea Cocoa-nut which has long been considered as a marine production, and been <scarce and valuable, is now discovered to be the fruit of a Palm with flabelliform leave extremel y■abundantly on the small islands to the eastward of Madagascar, called in our chart, . Wlllcn £rows•the French , Let hies ds Stchelks. A, H. Main, & c . and by

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