and in the greateft perfection, efpecially on the two low iflands, called by them
Motoos: thefe are many of them uninhabited, and are reforted to for the fake of
tiie cocoa-nuts, which grow to a very great fize on thefe illands j they love a fandy
foil, and thrive much near the fea-fide on the rifing of the hills,: they are fmaller,
and later in growth; they begin to bear when they are about ten feet high, and-
yield fruit feveral times in the year, and continue growing till they are fo very tall,
that they, by far, overtop all the reft of the trees: the leaves grow all at the top,
from which the fruit hangs.in feveral clufters of twenty or thirty, fo enormouily
heavy, it is amazing how the Header ftem of: this tree can fupport them : ^when
they have a mind to gather any for prefent ufe, they fend up a boy who ties, his
feet together with a ftring, and vaults up to the top with great eafe ; when there,
he gets them off the ftalk by fcrewing them round, and then flings them down,
taking care to give them a twirl firft, otherwife they would fall to the ground with
fuch force, from fuch a height, as would fplit them, and lofe ail the liquor.' When
they have a mind to gather the whole bunch, they cut it off, and lower it down'
with a rope; the way of opening them for prefent ufe is. with their teeth,-with
which they pull off the outer rind, and then break the ihell with a ftonej: but
when they have many to peel, they do it by driving them upon a pointed ftick,
which is fixed in the ground for that purpofe. Some forts of thefe nuts will not
keep at ally and other forts, when pulled ripe, and properly dried and cured, will
keep good a whole year: upon thefe racemi, or bunches., are ripe fruit, thofe
that are half ripe, and.others juft fet at the fame time. The ufes of .this tree are,
many to the iflanders of the fouth feas j the fruit, when half ripe, yields about
a pint to a quart of one of the moft refrefhing and agreeable liquors in nature': this;
delicious beverage they often put amongft their paftes and puddings, and delight
much to waih their mouth and hands with a little of it ; the ihell is, at this time,
very foft, and is often eaten together with a little of the rind, but in no great
quantities, it being apt to occafion coftivenefs; as the fruit grows older, the mi'lk:
turns thicker, more lufcious, and waftes away ; the kernel begins to form round
the edge, like a white tranfparent jelly, and is very nice eating in thisftate.' When
It is ripe, the kernel is hard and white, about half an Inch' thick, and eats as well
as a good nut; but the liquor is very indifferent, and, in a little time, waftes away
iotirely; of the kernel they make two forts of puddings, called Poe. and Etooo,
and eat it roafted alone; they alfo make a fauce for fifh of it, c.dled Taiyero, by
fteeping
fteeping the kernel in fea-water, and often ihaking it,' till it is almoft. diffolved ;
but the greateft quantity is ufed in making monoe, or oil, to anoint their hair; for
this purpofe- they grate the kernel very (mall, then put it into a wooden tray, or
trough, cover it, and fet it in the ihade, and, as the oil falls, to the edges, they
take it up with a ihell, and put it into a calabaih for. ufe j it fmells very rank, for
which reafon they put it into a quantity of fcented woods and plants; but after all
it fmells very heavy, and is apt to give an European the head-ach. The ihell is
ufed for their drinking cups, veffels to hold water, and to put their victuals in;
and, for this purpofe, they make them fmooth by rubbing them with coral. The
Ihell of the ripe ones is black, and the others browniih white; the outer-rind,
after being foaked in water, and well beaten, is drawn out into threads, of which
they make variety of plaited-line for girdles, to frap their flutes, for flinging their
calabaihes, ancj has the quality of not rotting with fait* water : with this ftuff they
alfo calk their canoes; and, in the Eaft-Indies, they make cables of it; of the
leaves they make bonnets, and baikets to put their bread-fruit and apples in : the
liber of the young leaves, which are very thin and tranfparent, they tie up in
bunches, and ftick in their hair by way * of ornament: the brown fkin, which
covers the leaf, before it is unfolded, ferves alfo for various parpofes; and the
wood of this tree anfwers all other common purpqfes very well.
E papa.
O f the leaves :of this tree, which are very white and glittering, when dried,
they make their evanne-matting, much admired for its beauty.
E howira.
This grows chiefly in the low iflandsy of the fplit. leaves they make their beft
mats for garments, to fit, and deep upon-
E yeiyei.
This plant is of the nature of ofier ; of the ftalks of it they work their round
bafkets, which they call Heenei, and in which they keep their vhftuals, and all
their utenfils.
Doodooe-awai & Oheparra.
Wiih thefe they dye their poowhirre, or brown cloth.
H Patarar,