DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0269
ISLAND OF CEYLON. 249
the leaf, which is quite circular, and terminating in the moft
beautiful rays, refembling a glory, like that of the fun, fur-
rounding the whole. They are about three feet and a half in
diameter, and are the fineft umbrellas in nature, and in univer-
fal ufe in Ceylon, to protect againft the rays of the fun, or the
fury of the rains. Knox, at page 14, mews the Ceylonefe man
under the protection of one of the leaves. They alfo ferve for
paper for the lapping of parcels. The wood is hard, and
veined with yellow, and ferves to make chefts, like the preced-
ing. The fruit is in the form of a cannon ball, containing
within two other nuts, of the iize of a mufquet ball, which are
eaten by the poor. Thefe are of the richer! fafFron color, and
give a moft brilliant appearance to this elegant tree, and hang
down in clufters three feet long.
This palm is the Tal of Bengal, the Brab of Bombay, and the
Talagbas, and Tala of Ceylon. Arrian, i. p. 522, mentions the
bark of the 'Tala as a food ufed by the Indians, a particular not
noted by modern writers.
Sylvejlris, Rheed. Malab. iii. tab. 22, et feq. This grows only Elate,
to the height of about fourteen feet; is covered with a greyilh
cruft, inftead of a bark. The fruit, of the fize and form of a
fmall plumb, is fometimes made ufe of, by the poorer people,
to chew with Betel, inftead of the Areca. The ftalks of the fruit
are greedily fought after by the elephants, for the fake of the
fweet pith they contain.
Urens, Rumpb. Amboin. i. tab. 14, grows to the height of a Caryota.
middling coco palm. The fruit grows in vaft clufters, adhering
Vol. I. K k to
the leaf, which is quite circular, and terminating in the moft
beautiful rays, refembling a glory, like that of the fun, fur-
rounding the whole. They are about three feet and a half in
diameter, and are the fineft umbrellas in nature, and in univer-
fal ufe in Ceylon, to protect againft the rays of the fun, or the
fury of the rains. Knox, at page 14, mews the Ceylonefe man
under the protection of one of the leaves. They alfo ferve for
paper for the lapping of parcels. The wood is hard, and
veined with yellow, and ferves to make chefts, like the preced-
ing. The fruit is in the form of a cannon ball, containing
within two other nuts, of the iize of a mufquet ball, which are
eaten by the poor. Thefe are of the richer! fafFron color, and
give a moft brilliant appearance to this elegant tree, and hang
down in clufters three feet long.
This palm is the Tal of Bengal, the Brab of Bombay, and the
Talagbas, and Tala of Ceylon. Arrian, i. p. 522, mentions the
bark of the 'Tala as a food ufed by the Indians, a particular not
noted by modern writers.
Sylvejlris, Rheed. Malab. iii. tab. 22, et feq. This grows only Elate,
to the height of about fourteen feet; is covered with a greyilh
cruft, inftead of a bark. The fruit, of the fize and form of a
fmall plumb, is fometimes made ufe of, by the poorer people,
to chew with Betel, inftead of the Areca. The ftalks of the fruit
are greedily fought after by the elephants, for the fake of the
fweet pith they contain.
Urens, Rumpb. Amboin. i. tab. 14, grows to the height of a Caryota.
middling coco palm. The fruit grows in vaft clufters, adhering
Vol. I. K k to