ſembling Hedge-Hogs; of theſe Nuts comes a liquid and pleaſant ſcented Oyl, uſed as Food and Sauce all over the Coaſt, but chiefly in the Windward Parts of Africa, where they ſtamp, boil and ſkim it off in great Quantities; underneath, where the Branches faſten, they tap for Wine, called Cockra, in this Manner; the Negroes who are moſtly limber active Fellows, encompaſs themſelves and the Trees with a Hoop of ſtrong With, and run up with a great deal of Agility; at the Bottom of a Branch of Nuts, he makes an Excavation of an Inch and a half over, and tying faſt his Calabaſh, leaves it to deſtil, which it does to two or three Quarts in a Night’s Time, when done he plugs it up, and chooſes another; for if ſuffered to run too much, or in the Day Time, the Sap is unwarily exhauſted, and the Tree ſpoiled: The Liquor thus drawn, is of a wheyiſh Colour, intoxicating and ſours in 24 Hours, but when new drawn, is pleaſanteſt to thirſt and hunger both: It is from theſe Wines they draw their Arack in India. On the very Top of the Palm, grows a Cabbage, called ſo, I believe, from ſome reſemblance its Taſt is thought to have with ours, and is uſed like it; the Covering has a Down that makes the beſt of Tinder, and the Weavings of other Parts are drawn out into ſtrong Threads.
Coco-Nut-Trees are branch’d like, but not ſo tall as, Palm Trees, the Nut like them, growing under the Branches, and cloſe to the Trunk; the milky Liquor they contain, (to half a Pint or more,) is often drank to quench Thirſt, but ſurfeiting, and this may be obſerved in their Way of Nouriſhment, that when the Quantity of Milk is large, the Shell and Meat are very thin, and harden and thicken in Proportion, as that loſes.
Cotton Trees alſo are the Growth of all Parts of Africk, as well as the Iſlands, of vaſt Bigneſs, yet
