New-York tribune., 1869-04-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS


of making collections in a special department OF nat
ural history, with no intention on the part Oh inc
author of recording his experience IN separate
work He found great facility for travel however,
in every ouarter OF the archipelago and was thus led
IN extend hs researches over wider range than was
contemplated i'm his original plan. His primary OBJ
iect was 70 make collection of the and beauti-
ful shells which abound in the waters of the Spice
Islands east OF Cclebes, but be proceeded on his
tour he was attracted to the manners and customs
of the strange people with whom he came in contact,
and of whom his work presents series of lively de-
seriptOns.
The account of his linguistic experience upon his
first rencontre with the Maays is curious study in
philoogy. Soon after entering the Java Sea, boat
came of from the shore. and the cOXswain could
speak little English, the writer seized the oDporu
uity to take his first lesson in Malay which is the conf
mon language of the whole archipelago. Of all tne
languages in ihe world, he ai1ms that the Malay 10
the one most readily acquired, which OF course mus.
be taken mere assertion, for not even Mezzoi'-
could pretend To speak from personal knowleuso OH
such subject STILL according to the expian@'ioii
of the author il is of a character to ahoro great
facilities for its acquisition. 1t contains ~ halsu
gutturas nor other cOnsonants tnab are ulnouiV "
pronounce In its soft aud musical hoW' IL pears some
resemblance 10 the Italian The vowels and conson-
charms the ear. Every European in all the Neither
lands India speaks Malay No other language is
used in addressing servants, and all the European
children born ON the islands catch it from their
Malay nurses long before they learn to speak the
language of their parents. After being accustomed
TO the meodous sounds of Malay, such children find
it no easy matter to make the harsh gutteral sounds
of the Dutch.
The Malay cuisine is rs smooth as the language, if
we may Judge fom the rather appetlzing description
which is given by the author.
Always once a day, and generally for dinner rice and
toes fried and boiled; steak, fried and broted; fried
bananas the choicest OF al decacies various kinds OF
green's many sorts Uf pickles and SANDAL or yege-
tables mixed with red peppers The next course is salad
and then brought bananas of three or four kinds
at all seasons and at certain umeS oranges, Pulpei
muses. mangues, mangOstins. and ralnOutausi ana as
this is bat such bill OF fare every man OF moderate
means expects to provide the people Oh tae west can see
that their friends IN the East, well as themselves be-
small glass of KIN. generally regarged as indispens
able things to perfect happiness by my good Dutch
traveller and never touch either.
Another fayorite staple in among the natives
Is our national grain though they do not appear
90 have learned the art of cOncOcting Indian ban
nOcks and puddlngs
The chef article of food Of the natives working in this
GARDEN is our own yellow Indian corn, another exotic,
also introduced the East by Europeans It Is now
raised IN every y R n % ea s oo or for b paves
The Dutch lever use it, aud generally think strange
that it should made into bread for the incest
tables in our land. never knew the natives 10 grind 1t
pound it. They are accustomed 10 roast u on he ear
after the kernels have become quite hard and yellow.
The manifold uses OF the cOcoanut which the au-
thor Justly regards as precious boon to the nhabt
ants of tropical regions are affectOnatey set forth
When we begin To examine the luxuriant fora Of these
tropical islands almost the first tree that we notice by
ally it is found sual eumps far from the abode Of
man, for instead OF being reared by his care It often
maj alO
his abode its shade by Offering him at the
time its fruit for food aud It's leaves ample thatchng
tor the only kind OF hui which he thinks he needs IN an
uuchangug, tropical climate.
As it stands along the shore, 1t invariably lnclnes
toward its parent, for borne the waves
the from which it sprang and now fully grown, 1t
seeks make due return TO its ancesorby leaning over
the shore and dropping into the oceans bosom rich clusters
%he s eoVered by watertS6t skin tie living kernel
safely floats the calm and the stormy sea- until some
friendly wave casts il high up distant beach. The
hot then quickly enables IL 10 thrust out s fo0tets
into the genial Soil OF coral sand and fragments OF Shells
SHINES ~, ingS over the white surf which in these sunny
Chimes everywhere forms the margin OF the deepbue
When the young the she'll soft and not separate
from the hlsk IN % s1ort m ue IL Turns tS from Paie m
is inner side Is thin layer SO soft that can be cut
with spoon The natives now call It Eldpd Dlud0 or
the young and they rarely eat it except in this
condition, AS il grows older the exterior becomes OF
Woodcoor the husk is dry, and the shell hard and sur
rounded inside with thick tough, oily and most
ndigestible layer, popularity known as the meat OF
the This is the condition In which 1t is brought TO
our markets but the Malays seldom never think OF
eating IN tins condition, and only value IT for IT'S Oil
To obtain this the is broken aud the meat scraped
out with knife. This pulp then boiled In large pan,
when the oil separates floats the top and SKINNED
off This oil almost the only substance used for light
Ing in East where far more lights are kept burning
proportion to the foreign population than IN our own
tenlperaie zone, Notwithstanding long Winter
ngs being the custom there for each man to light his
and yeranda very brilliantly every evening" ana
iii. is festive occasion, rows of lamps must be placed
Te natives also are fond Of such display The
lamp which they have for burning OIL 10 nothing
bat glass tuinDler This is partly filled win water
oil Is poured III, ana OH TINS loiI
two small spnts that support piece OF pthl IN ayeical
position Tor wick When the oil is hrst made u has
sweet rich taste, but in such hot climate 1t soon be-
comes extremely rancid, aud that used Tor COOKING
should not be more than two or three days old Inc
cool clear water which young nuts contain Is most
refreshing drink in those hot climates far preferable ac
cording my taste, 10 the warm muddy water psuay
found in all low lands within the tropics Especially can
one appreciate II When exposed TO the burning sun on
coral island, Inc longs Tor sihse atauSnt IIo tn9
cold sparkling streams among his native NeW-lngand
hills. He looks around MN ana releS faI he Is sur m
rounded by the salt waters OF the Oeea-then one OF ms
dark attendants dlyning MS desire clDs the SnoOtn
the sky, nectar delicious enough iVr TIC Eous'
Another celebrated member OF the palm family IS
the subject of an animated description.
The betemut is the fruit OF tall; slender and ex-
remely graceful palm the Artea edeeh do uu1t L tb s
usually from 10 Cigt inches OILY IN diameter put the
seaf Of green leaves that springs OUT Oh s to 70 uIy
forty feet IRON the gr"uHu' vi eii oht Dc " pa mo
Iousc IN which liyed at Batavia, there was long
mornings, and cool evenings was acSussoihe1 ~ 10 sol
ter to and fro. ana each time ~ seemed thaJ uey were
ali tropical India and the whole archipelago inciudIg
the Philippines Malay name is pttong, hence IulO
Plnang is Beteliut Island In nearly all the large
islands 1t has different name an Indication tha u Is IN
dgenOus In Jayan0se IL called JQDb and region on
the north coast Of Sumata, where IL s very ABUNDANT,
has therefore received That name In favorable sui
tOns this tree begins TO bear when is six years DID, anq
generally yields about hundred nuts In loose conical
cluster. Each nut when ripe, Is about as large as q
pulets egg and Of bright, Ochreous yellow. This yell
low AKIN ncoses husk the analogue OF the thick husk
OF the cocoanut. Within this Is small spherical nut,
closely resembling nutmeg, but very hard aud tough
xeept when taken directly from the tree 1t ehewed
with green sif Piper 6etel, which Is raised
only for this purpUse such quantities OF II