and will keep feveral months, being eaten when bread-fruit is out of feafon, and carried
to fea with them; and o f it they form feveral forts of pafte, fuch as pepe,
popoee, &c. which are ufed by them at their meals. The leaves of this tree are .
very ufeful to wrap fiih and other eatables in, -when put into the oven to be baked.
O f the wood they build canoes, and make feveral other forts of utenfils ; and, of the
bark of young plants o'f it, which are raifed on purpofe, they make very good cloth,
which is but little inferior to that made of Eaowte, only fomewhat more harfliarid
harder«
E awharra. Pandanus-ie&orius.
This tree generally grows on the fandy hillocks by the; fea-fide, and is found in
great plenty on all the low iflands ; the leaves are .long, like thofe offedge, fawed
on the edge; the flowers are male and female, growing upon different trees ;
thofe of the male-flower fmell very fweet; and, of the bradtea of them, which
are white, they make a fort of garlands to put round their heads ; the fruit is
orange colour, and as big as one's head, confifting of a congeries of fmall cones,
like thofe of the Anana, or Pine-apple, which, they much referable: the bottom of
thefe cones, fucked when full ripe, yield a flat infipid fweetnefs, and are eaten by
the children ; but the chief ufe of this tree is in the leaves, which, when plucked
and dried, make excellent thatching for their houfes, and various forts of mats and
baikets. This is the Palmetto -of'theeaftern voyagers.
E .matt.ee. ; Ficus^iinSlqria,
The figs of this tree are one of the chief-ingredients in their red-dye for their garments
: .when they ufe them they nip or bite off the ftalk clofeto the fruit, at which
time a fmall drop of milky juice 4-flues out-; thisr. they either ihake upon the tow-
leaves, ufed in this dye, or elfe into -a cocoa-nut ihell, with a little water, or cocoa-
nut milk-;- and them dips the leaves into.it, which they roll up in a fmall bundle, and
work or fqueeze them between the palm and their fingers, till the red cplour is
produced by the mixture of the two j.uiqes:; hut, what is very odd, thefe leaves
being beaten in a mortar, and-the juice taken from them and mixed with the fig-
milk, will not produce the fame colour. O f the bark of this tree very good twine
is made, which is of particular ufe for making of feins, and other nets.
& aowai
;E aowa.. Ficm-prolmai
This tree is remarkable on account of its trunk, which-, grows to an enormous
fize, by the.branches hanging down, and taking, root again, which makes a very
grotofque figure.. Of the bark of young plants,- raifed ©n purpofe,, they make a
fort of cloth, naturally of as ruflet-hue, which they call Ora, being worn- in the
morning?,, and much- valued by them* efpeeially that which is beaten very fine andi
thin-
E toeev Zezyphoides-argenteck-
The wood1 of this tree they make uie of for various purpofes,,. fuclr as- fterns ofe
canoes,, heightening boards for ditto,, and. beams to beat their cloth, upon-
E apeeree- . Bodonaamifeofai.
The wood of this tree,, which is very tough,, ferves to make a- particular fhrt o f
■weapon* which, they carry in their hand. when, they dive after iharks,, andi other
large fiih-.
E tive;- - IDrawntium-polyphyllurnU
The roofcof this is'ufedto make a jelly like the Peea,. but isr not. near fo^goodt'
.■Meiyav Mufa-pnradifaica.
This is the well-known tropical fruit called Plantains*. andi Bananas,, of" which?
there is a-great: variety in-thefe: iflandsthey reckon, more than twenty forts which*
differ-in lhape and.tailer; ;fome of thefe are for eating raw, and-others heit boiled*,
and-will ferve inftead-of. bread r they plant- themin a- rich foil„ and-take great pains*
in their cultivation*.
Faflie;. . . , Mttfa^bihau-
This is another fort o f Plantains,,, which generally grow wild in; the- mountains*,
and fometimes.are planted by them-;', they are far inferior to the laft, have a: con—
fiderable aii.ringency,. and eat heft; boiled; or- roafted; There are four differentforts,,
and the leaves-of this and the laft;, ierve to putvidxials. upon ;aand.the:rindiofi the;
trunk to make a.fort of baiketsi-called Papa-meiya..
E'aree;. €!dccusdnucijirx?
This palm,, the fruitrof which.is^ ib well known in« alb plaees-withibthe'tropicsv»
feems to. be:amatire;of thefe.ifl&nd^* being;,found-.eyery-whefain .the.greateifcgienty,,
andi