raises a fermentation, and when this ceases, the liquor is let off from the dregs, and set by till wanted.

In some of the islands of the South Sea, the same beverage is obtained by similar means: and here, where each individual is his own lawgiver, it is no uncommon thing for a near relation to excuse a murderer, for a good drunken banquet of bici.

[Lin. Pantologia,

SECTION IX.

Sago.

Areca. Sycas.-LINN.

THE nutritive mealy grain which we call Sago is obtained from both the above plants, and we shall hence give a brief account of each.

This genus of plants belongs to the natural order of the palms, and its fruit is a dry plum with a bivalved kernel. The genus has two species as follow:

1. C. circinalis, or proper Sago-tree. This grows spontaneously in the East Indies, and particularly on the coast of Malabar. It runs up with a straight trunk to 40 feet or more, having many circles the whole length, occasioned by the old leaves falling off; for, standing in a circular order round the stem, and embracing it with their base, whenever they drop, they leave the marks of their adhesion behind. The leaves are pinnated, and grow to the length of seven or eight feet. The pinnæ or lobes are long, narrow, entire, of a shining green, all the way of a breadth, lance-shaped at the point, are closely crowded together, and stand at right angles on each side the mid-rib, like the teeth of a comb. The flowers are produced in long bunches at the foot-stalks of the leaves, and are succeeded by oval fruit, about the size of large plums, of a red colour when ripe, and a sweet flavour. Each contains a hard brown nut, inclosing a white meat, which tastes like a chesnut.

This is a valuable tree to the inhabitants of India, as it not only furnishes a considerable part of their constant bread, but also supplies them with a great article of trade. The trunk contains a fari

in this manner: they saw the body into small pieces, and after beating them in a mortar, pour water upon the mass; this is left for some hours to settle. When fit, it is strained through a cloth h; and the finer particles of the mealy substance running through with the water, the gross ones are left behind and thrown away. After the farinaceous part has sufficiently subsided, the water is poured off, and the meal being properly dried, is occasionally made into cakes and baked. These cakes are said to eat nearly as well as wheaten bread, and are the support of the inhabitants for three or four months in the year.

The same meal more finely pulverized, and reduced into granules, is what is called sago, which is sent into all parts of Europe, and sold in the shops as a great strengthener and restorative. There is a sort of sago made in the West Indies, and sent to Europe, in the same manner as that from the East; but the West India sago is far inferior in quality to the other. It is supposed to be made from the pith of the areca oleracea.

2. The cycas revoluta, or brood boom (or bread-tree) of the Hottentots, a plant discovered by Professor Thunberg. The pith, or medulla, which abounds in the trunk of this little palm, Mr. Sparman informs us, is collected and tied up in dressed calf or sheepskins, and then buried in the earth for the space of several weeks, till it becomes sufficiently mellow and tender to be kneaded up with water into a paste, of which they afterwards make small loaves or cakes, and bake them under the ashes. Other Hotten. tots, not quite so nice, nor endued with patience enough to wait this tedious method of preparing it, are said to dry and roast the pith or marrow, and afterwards make a kind of frumenty of it.

2. Areca.

Fausel-nut.

This genus also belongs to the natural order of the palm. It includes the three following species.

1. A. cathecu, a native of India. It has no branches, but its leaves are very beautiful; they form a round tuft at the top of the trunk, which is as straight as an arrow. It grows to the height of 25 or 35 feet, and is a great ornament in gardens. The shell which contains the fruit is smooth without, but rough and hairy within; in which it pretty much resembles the shell of the cocoa nut. Its size

Its kernel semblance

is equal to that of a pretty large walnut. without, and has also the same whitish veins within when cut in two. In the centre of the fruit, when it is soft, is contained a greyish and almost liquid substance, which grows hard in proportion as it ripens. The extract of this nut has been supposed to be the terra japonica of the shops: but according to later observations, the genuine drug seems to be obtained from the mimosa catechu. The fruit when ripe is astringent, but not unpalatable, and the shell is yellowish. Of this fruit there is a prodigious consumption in the East Indies. The chief use that is made use of it is to chew it with the leaves of betel, mixing with it lime made of sea shells.

2. Areca oleracea, or true cabbage palm, is the most beautiful, and perhaps the tallest, of all trees. The trunk is perfectly straight, and marked with rings at the vestiges of the leave-stalks. Near the ground it is about seven feet in circumference; but tapers as it ascends, and attains the height of 170 or 200 feet. The bark is of an ash colour, till within 25 or 30 feet of the extremity of the tree; when it alters at once to a deep sea green, which continues to the top. About five feet from the beginning of the green part upwards, the trunk is surrounded with its numerous branches, in a circular manner; all the lowermost spreading horizontally with great regularity; and the extremes of many of the higher branches bend wavingly downwards, like so many plumes of feathers. These branches, when full grown, are 20 feet long, more or less; and are thickly set on the trunk alternately, rising gradually superior one to another their broad curved sockets so surround the trunk, that the sight of it, whilst among these, is lost, which again appears among the uppermost branches, and is there enveloped in an upright green conic spire, which beautifully terminates its great height. As there are many thousand leaves upon one tree, every branch bearing many scores upon it, and every leaf being set at a small and equal dis stance from one another, the beauty of such a regular lofty group of waving foliage, susceptible of motion, by the most gentle gale of wind, is not to be described. The middle rib, in each leaf, is strong and prominent, supporting it on the under side, the upper appearing smooth and shining. The pithy part of the leaf being scraped off, the inside texture appears to be so many longitudinal thread-like filaments. These, being spun in the same manner as

Upon removing the large leaves, or branches, which surround the top of the trunk, a little way above the beginning of the green bark, what is called the cabbage is discovered lying in many thin, snow white, brittle flakes, in taste resembling an almond, but sweeter, This substance, which cannot be procured without destroying the tree, is boiled, and eaten with mutton by the inhabitants of the West Indies, in the same manner as turnips and cabbage are with us. What is called the cabbage flower, grows from that part of the tree where the ash-coloured trunk joins the green part already described. Its first appearance is a green husky spatha, growing to above 20 inches long, and about four broad. As this husky spatha is opening while thus young, the farinaceous yellow seed in embryo, resembling fine sawdust, is very plentifully dispersed among stringy filaments, which answer the use of apices in other more regular flowers: these filaments being cleared of this dust, are pickled, and esteemed among the best pickles either in the West Indies or in Europe. But if this spatha is not cut down and opened whilst thus young; if it be suffered to continue on the tree, till it grows ripe and bursts; then the inclosed part, which whilst young and tender is fit for pickling, will by that time have acquired an additional hardness, become soon after ligneous, grow bushy, consisting of very small leaves, and in time produce a great number of small oval thin-shelled nuts, about the size of unbusked coffee berries: these, being planted, produce young cabbage trees. The sockets or grooves, formed by the broad part of the footstalks of the branches, are used by the negroes as cradles for their children. On the inner side of the very young footstalks are tender pelicles, which when dried, it is said, make a writing paper. The trunks serve as gutterings; the pith makes a sort of sago; and the nuts yield oil by decoction. In the pith also, after the trees are felled, there breeds a kind of worm or grub, which is eaten and esteemed a great delicacy by the French of Martinico, St. Domingo, and the adjacent islands.

3. Areca oryzæformis. This is a native of Cochin China, Amboina, &c. It is a slender elegant palm, and the fruit is used for chewing with the betel leaf as well as that of the first species.

[Forrest. Linn. Amen. Academ.

THIS genus affords us two known species: Ph. farinifera, an Indian tree, with pinnate fronds longer than the trunk; and Ph. dactylifera, with pinnate fronds shorter than the trunk, a native of Arabia and Persia. It is the last to which we are to confine our attention in the present place. Its trunk rises to fifty, sixty, and a hundred feet high; is round, upright and studded with protuberances, which are the vestiges of the decayed leaves. From the top issues forth a cluster of leaves or branches eight or nine feet long, extending all round like an umbrella,and bending a little towards the earth. The bottom part produces a number of stalks like those of the middle, but seldom shooting so high as four or five feet. These stalks, says Adanson, diffuse the tree very considerably; so that wherever it naturally grows in forests, it is extremely difficult to open a passage through its prickly leaves. The date-tree was introduced into Jamaica soon after the conquest of the island by the Spaniards. There are, however, but few of them in Jamaica at this time. The fruit is somewhat in the shape of an acorn. It is composed of a thin, light, and glossy membrane, somewhat pellucid and yel lowish, which contain a fine, soft, and pulpy fruit, which is firm, sweet, and somewhat vinous to the taste, esculent, and wholesome; and within this is enclosed a solid, tough, and hard kernel, of a pale grey colour on the outside, and finely marbled within like the nutmeg. The best are brought from Tunis: they are also very fine and good in Egypt, and in many parts of the East. Those of Spain and France look well; but are never perfectly ripe, and very subject to decay. Dates have always been esteemed moderately strengthening and astringent.

* The Indian Date-plum is a plant of a different kind, and is the diospyros of Linnæus. It has nine or ten species, of which the two chief are, first, the lotus, a native of Africa, much cultivated in Italy and the South of France, and supposed to be the fruit by which Ulysses and his companions were enchanted and forgot their native country. 2d, The persimon or pitchumonplum, a native of America, cultivated in the nurseries of our own gardens,