The Opelousas courier., 1894-05-05
cOCOANUTS OF THE SEA.
q Queer Fruit In The Islands Or The
Seychelles Group.

The cOcO-de-mer or dOuble-cOcOalut
palm tree is one Of the largest and
most remarkable of palms. 1t Is a
native of and only found on a small
group of islands called the Seychelles.
These form an archipelago in almost
the middle of the Indian Ocean, con-
sisting Of about eighty islands. Sey-
chelles are the home of the so-called
sea cocOanut or Maldive double cocoa
nut-the coco-de-mer. 1t Is the
of a peculiar and remarkably fine
species of the palm tribe, indigenous
to and only found on certain small
islands of the group, and nowhere
else in the world. Botanists give it
the name Lodoicea .,eyckellamun.
The fruit is Il large double, oblong,
kidney-shaped nut, covered with a
thin husk. After the removal of this
the fruit has the appearance OF two
oblong nuts firmly joined together for
over half their length, and which often
weigh from thirty to forty pounds.
They are borne in punches, each con-
sisting of nine or ten nuts, so hat
a bunch will often weigh 400 pounds.
1t takes ten years to ripen its fruit,
the albumen of which is similar in
appearance and lines the inner ur-
face of the nut, but, unlike that OF
the common c%Ocoanut, is too hard ana
horny to serve as food. The shell Is
| converted into many useful and orna-
mental articles by the island natives.
But the most important part is the
leaves, which are made into hats and
baskets.
So great has the demand been of
late wears for these that to obtain
them the trees were cut down, and,
no care being taken to extend new
plantations. in 1864 the leading bot
anists in England petitioned the Gov
eminent for protection against tins
wasteful destruction, for fear that
this slow-growing, unique species
would eventually become extinct. 1t
appears, however, from recent infor-
nation that in one of the islands
alone there are many thousands OF
the trees.
1t is true that for many centuries
the fruit of this palm tree was only
known from specimens Of it, which,
floating out to sea from the islands:
were borne to and cast upon the Nal
dive and other coasts, the islands, the
home of the tree, being at that period
unknown. SO rare, curious, and
mysterious a fruit was held in higl
regard and esteem not only for a sup
posed religious significance, but ir
medicine is was believed to be d SOW
ereign antidote to poison. From it:
rarity it commanded a great price IL
the Orient. The husk of the nut is ;
black, rind-like substance, a quarter
of an inch thick. Under this is (;
shell something in character anc
thickness like that of the ordinary
edible cocoanut. The kernel or mea
of the nut lines the interior of The
shell to a thickness of about an inch
The coco-de-mer was of old believed
by the superstitious Orientals to b.
fruit of some submarine palm tree
Rare finds of such nuts as wer'
thrown up on the seashore were val
ued by the Brahmins and Hindu
fakirs or mendicant priests, who, cut
ting them apart, would decorate TIL
polished halves with bands of carving
in low relief of Inscriptions from TIL
Hindu scriptures. So finished, thes
formed valued and sacred begin!
bowls, in which mendicant priests re
} ceived aims of money or food De
trOit Free Press,