ome
just beginning to button, and others in full flower. The fruit is
three-lobed and of a greenish hue, of different sizes, from the size
of an ordinary tennis-ball, to that of a man's head, and is composed
of two rinds. The outer is composed of long tough fibres, between red
and yellow colour, the second being a hard shell. Within this is a
thick firm white substance or kernel, lining the shell, tasting like
a sweet almond; and in a central hollow of this kernel there is a
considerable quantity of a clear, bright, cool liquor, tasting like
sugared water. The natives of the countries in which these trees grow,
eat the kernel with their victuals instead of bread; and likewise
extract from it, by pressure, a liquor resembling milk of almonds
in taste and consistence. When this milk is exposed to the action of
fire, it changes to a kind of oil, which they use as we do butter
in dressing their victuals, and also burn in their lamps; and they
likewise employ it for smearing their bodies. They also draw from the
tree a liquor called _sura_ by the Indians, and which the Europeans
name _toddy_, or palm-wine. For this purpose, having cut one of the
largest twigs about a foot from the body of the tree, they hang to
this stump a bottle or calabash, into which the sap distils. This
_sura_ is of a very agreeable taste, little inferior to the Spanish
white wine; but being strong and heady, is generally diluted with
fresh clear water got from the nut It does not however keep, as it
becomes sour in about two days; when, by exposure to the sun, it is
converted into excellent vinegar. When boiled in its recent state,
it is converted into another liquor, called _orraqua_ by the Indians;
from which they distil a spirituous liquor called arrack, which many
people prefer to the other liquor of the same name distilled from rice
in India, which is so well known and so much esteemed in Europe.

Besides cocoa-nuts, the Dutch found in Moa great plenty of
pomegranates of exquisite taste, and abundance of _pisans_ or Indian
figs. These refreshments were of infinite service to them, as without
them the whole of both ships companies must have inevitably perished;
and immediately on returning to their ships, they began to prepare
for resuming their voyage. While engaged in these preparations, the
inhabitants of Moa came off to the ships in about 200 canoes, which
they exchanged with the Dutch for various articles, apparently doing
this to prevent th