The ocean of story, being C.H. Tawney's translation of Somadeva's ...

APPENDIX II ROMANCE OF BETEL-CHEWING 265
in one of his verses says :
*
It is an excellent fruit like the
flower of a garden, the finest fruit of Hindustan.' The eating
of the leaf renders the breath agreeable, and repasts odorous.
It strengthens the gums, and makes the hungry satisfied and
the satisfied hungry. I shall describe some of the various
kinds : 1. The leaf called Bilahri is white and shining, and does
not make the tongue harsh and hard. It tastes best of all kinds.
After it has been taken away from the creeper, it turns white,
with some care, after a month, or even after twenty days, when
greater efforts are made. 2. The Kdker leaf is white with spots,
and full, and has hard veins. When much of it is eaten, the
tongue gets hard. 3. The Jaiswdr leaf does not get white, and
is profitably sold mixed with other kinds. 4. The Kapurl leaf
is yellowish, hard, and full of veins, but has a good taste and
smell. 5. The Kapurkdnt leaf is yellowish green, and pungent
like pepper ; it smells like camphor. You could not eat more
than ten leaves. It is to be had at Banaras ; but even there
it does not thrive in every soil. 6. The Banglah leaf is broad,
full, hard, plushy, hot and pungent.
" The cultivation is as follows : In the month of Chait
(March-April), about New-Year's time, they take a part of a
creeper four or five fingers long with Karhanj leaves on it
and put it below the ground. From fifteen to twenty days
after, according as leaves and knots form, a new creeper will
appear from a knot, and as soon as another knot forms, a leaf
will grow up. The creepers and new leaves form for seven
months, when the plant ceases to grow. No creeper has
more than thirty leaves. As the plant grows, they prop it
with canes, and cover it, on the top and the sides, with wood
and straw, so as to rear it up in the shade. The plant requires
the rains. Sometimes
continually to be watered, except during
they put milk, sesame oil and its seeds pressed out, about
the plant. There are seven kinds of leaves, known under
nine names : 1. The Karhanj leaf, which they separate for
seedlings, and call Perl. The new leaf is called Gadautah.
2. The Nauti leaf. *3. The Bahuti leaf. 4. The Chhlw
leaf. 5. The Adhinidd leaf. 6. The Agahniyah or Lewdr leaf.
7. The Karhanj leaf itself. With the exception of the
Gadautah, the leaves are taken away from the creeper when
a month old. The last kind of leaf is eaten by some ; others
keep it for seedlings : they consider it very excellent, but
connoisseurs prefer the Perl.
" A bundle of 11,000 leaves was formerly called Lahdsah,