faid, is found in all the other palm-trees, Sccl’1'The hut
that Inow lay under was not built in theconvenient; mah-
ner abové defcribed.; i t :was*not requrfite, for the ftiort
timè wèHgéherally
confifted only of a roof or cover ’ without any w M ls. T h e
manner of eredtiog thefe little ftiedsp^hieft ev^yprivate
foldier builds for himfélf^is fimply by plahtihg&>Ur forked
poles in thé ground; * at fueh a’ diifehbbff h it a hammock
cm conveniently hang between* thefe; nM t,'to ^ ftW b
Ihort poles, ftrong enough • -to fupport* the1 Weight oft the
body in the abdvd forks^' thö oderat the head and the
other at the feet, to which are faftèfied the cle'ws of the
hammock. On the other extremities'-Of thefe'are laid
two long fticksj and on them again two Ihort hnfsj-and
thus alternately two long add two Ihort, all which dimiv
nilh by degrees. When' the whole is finifhed, the top muft
be covered with branches from the m aftpopfe," exactly 'as
they grow, without either fplitting or tying them,i and' as
thick as the feafon may require.
When this temporary fabric is completely finifhed,. it
will not only keep dry both thë' inhabitants and their,
boxes, but (by the help of the nebees)fuzeeS;;fwords, pif-
tols," &c. may be fufpeöded from thé raftersi '- -As I have
been deferibing the manieole, I am induced alfo to mention
the cocoa-nut tree, as I think it refèmbles^that morb
than any of the palm' fp ed e^-.T h f* tred, jwbfrh is fo
much celebrated, as affording to to a n fo o d , clothing,
lheiter, 8cc. pofleffes not, in my opinion, allthafe qualities,.
but hill is well worthy of notice. It grows like the for- c H AE.
merlin a tall jointed trunk, fometimes from fixty to above x'
eighty feet high, and is*thick in proportion, but leldom
j‘ perpendicularly ftraight: its bark is of a grey colour ; the
wood 'is hard without, but.pithy within, like the elder in
-Great Britain; its branches are larger, and of a deeper
. -greeny than thofe of the manicole-tree, but are equally
dividedifwMi pinnated- leaves b n both fides, which in the
' other I compared f to-green-' ribbons ; but thèymeither
hang fo ftraight downwards,; nor are. the branches regularly
.arched; whiehr. gives'i them the appearance of large
'.feathers, .and they'fpring up.at the'top, in proportion as
rtheyffadé and{go-off at the bottom: the cocoa-tree alfo
produces a cabbage, 'at ks fummit, but is too valuable to
be pup down for the fake of a prizeffo inadequate to the
lofs df:ks, other produce. It bears the nuts when fix or
diêht years,old, after which period it is never feen without
them; they grow ufually ftx or. eight on one ftalk,
which diverges from the heart of the tree; they are the
fme of.a man’s head, but more conical. The nut, it is well
known, when diverted of its hulk, is exceedingly hard,
an4 requires a hammer to break it, or to be fawed through,
the middle; to procure the. nourifliment it affords; when
yQung, this confifts of a white liquid, which I can compare
to nothing better than.to: milk and water mixed with
fugar, and which is an exceedingly cool and agreeable
beverage; h u t at a riper period this;is formed into a
crifp kernel, which adheres clofe to the in'fide of the ftiell
I S l S S ! -Hh j for