ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

S U M A T-R A. 127
any quantities; but the natives raife no more than is neceflary for their
own domeflic manufactures. The filk cotton (bomb.ix cciba) is alfo to
be met with in every village. This is, to appearance, one of the moft,
beautiful raw materials the hand of nature has prefented. It's finenefs,
glofs, and delicate foftnefs, render it, to the fight and touch, much fuperior
to the labor of the filkworm; but owing to the fhortnefs and brittlenefs
of the ftaple, it is efteemed unfit for the reel and loom, and is
only applied to the unworthy purpofe of fluffing pillows and mattraffes.
Poflibly it has not undergone a fair trial in the hands of our ingenious
artifts, and we may yet fee it converted into a valuable manufacture. It
grows in pods, from four to fix inches long, which burn: open when
ripe. The feeds entirely refemble the black pepper, but are without
tafte. The tree is remarkable, from the branches growing out perfectly
ftreight and horizontal, and being always three, forming equal angles,
at the fame height: the diminutive fhoots likewife grow flat; and the
feveral gradations of branches obferve the fame regularity to the top.
Some travellers have called it the umbrella tree, but the piece of furniture
called a dumb waiter, exhibits a more flriking picture of it.
The penang or betel nut, before mentioned, is a confiderable article netei Nw,
of traffick to the coaft of Coromandel or Telinga, particularly from
Acheen.
The coffee trees are univerfally planted, but the fruit produced here coffet.
is not excellent in quality, which is probably owing entirely to the want
of fkill in the management of them. The plants are difpofed too clofe
to each other, and are fo much overfhaded by other trees, that the fun
cannot penetrate to the fruit; owing to which the juices are not well
ripened, and the berries, which become large, do not acquire a proper
flavor. Add to this, that the berries are gathered whilfl red, which is
before they have arrived at a due degree of maturity, and which the
Arabs always permit them to attain to, efteeming it eflential to the goodnefs
of the coffee. As the tree is of the fame fpecies with that cultivated
in Arabia, there is little doubt but with proper care, this article
might