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

300 THE OCEAN OF STORY
as we saw was the case in Ceylon, that few bags with such
elaborate work are being made to-day. The colours used in
the dyeing are derived from orchids and various minerals
found locally.
Grubauer also gives a plate (on p. 489) showing arecanut
cutters. They display excellent workmanship, and fit
neatly into a small case which allows the handles to remain
uncovered. The women's cutters differ slightly in design
from those used by the men.
Philippine Islands
Turning to the Philippine Islands, one of the earliest mentions
of areca-nuts is to be found in the Chu-fan-chi, already
quoted on p. 256. The author describes the chief products
of the country as yellow wax, cotton, pearls, tortoise-shell,
medicinal areca-nuts and yu-ta cloth.
One of the first detailed accounts of chewing is that given
by De Morga at the end of the sixteenth century. He
describes the betel leaf and the areca-nut as if they both
came from the same tree. As the main part of the account
tells us nothing new I shall merely give extracts.
"
The ordinary dainty in all these islands," he says,
according to Stanley's translation, 1 " and in many kingdoms
of the mainland, of these parts is the buyo. This is made
from a tree which has a leaf of the pattern of the mulberry
leaf, and the fruit is like an acorn of an oak, and the inside
is white ; this fruit, which is called bonga, is cut lengthwise in
parts, and each one of these is put into a wrapper or envelope,
which is made of the leaf, and a powder of quicklime is put
inside with the bonga, and this composition is put into the
mouth and chewed ... all their treats and luxury consist
in dishes and salvers for buyos much gilt, and well arranged,
as chocolate is served in New Spain in these ; buyos poison
has been given to many persons, of which they have died
poisoned, and this is a very common occurrence.
"
The natives, when they go out of their houses, especially
the great men, carry with them for state and show their small
boxes which are called buccetas of buyos ready made up, and
the leaf and nut and quicklime separately ; with these curious
boxes of metal and other materials, and scissors and other
tools for making buyos with care and neatness, wherever they
1 Issued by the Hakluyt Society, 1 868, p. 280 et seq.