EXPLANATION

Of the First Plate,

Which exhibits the slender tree-like reed, or Leleba.

EXPLANATION

Of the First Plate,

Showing the thin tree-like reed or the Leleba.

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OBSERVATION.

Various species of the Indian tree-like reed are commemorated in Plukenet's Almagestum, p. 53, and this appears to be the Arundo arbor Indica procera Tall Indian reed-tree, with the fruit of the Sesame packed in dense whorls. Plukenet's Mantissa, p. 28. &c.

REMARK.

Various kinds of Indian Tree-reeds appear in Plukenet's Almagestum, p. 53, and this seems to be the Indian high Reed-tree, with a fruit like the Sesame growing thick together in lumps on the stalks, in Plukenet's Mantissa, p. 28. &c.

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CHAPTER TWO.

The Tree-reed Cratium. Bulu feru.

II. CHAPTER.

The Tree-reed named Cratium.

These, along with the subsequent species, gradually become thicker and grow into a taller reed, which also exhibits a thicker substance: the Bulu feru original: "Bulu feru"; likely a variant of Bulu Seru, a Malay term for a specific bamboo however forms a denser bush than the Leleba; and its reed reaches at most the thickness of an arm, for it is generally thinner; namely, in the younger bushes, which have not been much lopped off, it reaches the thickness of an arm or a leg, but in bushes that are frequently cut and exhausted, it does not grow thicker than a thumb; the substance of the reed has scarcely the thickness of a quill, and its internodes the sections between the joints are shorter than those of the Leleba, also green and divided near the nodes into many lateral leafy and knotty branchlets.

These and the following kinds now gradually begin to become thicker and higher in reed, and the reed itself thicker in substance. The Bulu feru is denser of bush than the Leleba; the reed itself is at the highest an arm thick, but commonly less, to wit, on young bushes where one has not yet chopped much, it is an arm and leg thick, but on the chopped-out and exhausted bushes it becomes no more than a thumb thick; the substance of the reed has scarcely the thickness of a shaft a quill or reed-pen, the segments are shorter than on the Leleba, also grass-green, and divide themselves at the knots into many leafy and knotty side-branches.

The leaves are much narrower and more green than those of the Leleba, and have the color of Sedge original: "Caricis", a type of marsh grass, from seven to thirteen inches long, and the upper ones are always longer than the lower ones, two fingers broad, downy underneath; moreover, most of the channels hollow stalks of this bush are not more than an inch thick, which, although firm, can nevertheless be easily split lengthwise, even through the nodes themselves, whence they are also fit for weaving any kind of crates from them.

The leaves are narrower and a lighter green than on the Leleba, of the color of saw-grass, from seven to thirteen inches long, the foremost being always longer than the hindmost, two fingers broad, woolly on the underside; on the greatest part of the bush the pipes are not above an inch thick and stiff; the pipes allow themselves to be easily split lengthwise, through knots and all, and therefore they are fit to weave all sorts of boards from.

At the beginning of the rainy season of the year the flowers appear, at which time the inhabitants also say that coughs prevail violently; but the perfect fruits are observed in the month of January, which are shaggy like knots pressed closely together, and sitting close to the stalk, which grow out transversely from the upper small twigs, so that the tip of these stands out above the fruits, with some leaves.

In the beginning of the rainy Monsoon, one sees the blossom, at which time the locals say that coughs reign strongly; but the complete fruits are seen in January, which are some rough knots crowded upon one another, sitting tight to the stalks, and shooting out crosswise from the uppermost twigs, so that the end or point of the same still sticks out above the fruits, with some leaves.

The fruits are filled with a white and dry pith: the Robong or shoot, as long as it does not exceed the length of an ell a historical unit of length, roughly 27 inches, is somewhat edible, but not as delicate in Amboina as in Bali, since the Amboinese is somewhat bitter; it shoots up as straight as a pike to the height of the bush itself before it unfolds into leaves, and is green on the outside mixed with a brown color; in some places of the old channels or pipes, water also stagnates.

The fruits have a white dry pith; the Robong or monthly sprout, as long as it does not exceed the length of an ell, is somewhat edible, though in Amboina not as good as on Bali, since the Amboinese is somewhat bitter; and it shoots up with a straight pike as high as the bush itself, before it opens itself into leaves; from the outside green, mixed with brown; here and there one also finds water in the lower pipes.

Name. In Latin Arundarbor Cratium, according to the Malay Bulu seru, as will be indicated more widely shortly hereafter; in Amboinese Wannat: in Huamohel Utte Wannat, in Macassarese Tallam, in Balinese Tamalla, in Ternatan Louw, in Bandanese Suelen.

Name. In Latin Arundarbor Cratium, after the Malay Bulu seru, as shall be said shortly hereafter; in Amboinese Wannat, in Huamohel Utte Wannat, Macassar Tallam, Balinese Tamalla, Ternatan Louw, Banda Suelen.

Location. It is more abundant in Amboina, and more frequent in its region called Leytimor than in other places, and furthermore it is known through all the islands adjacent to it as far as Java and Bali, although it exhibits some varieties according to the variety of the islands; for the Leytimorese grows to the thickness of a small arm, and in some of the islands situated to the Southeast I have observed huge bushes and vast forests of it, of which all the pipes were not more than a finger or thumb thick, and much whiter in color than in any other places.

Place. In Amboina one finds it more on the Land of Leytimor than in other places, and furthermore it is known through all surrounding Islands, even to Java and Bali, although with some changes according to the diversity of the Islands; for the Leytimorese becomes a small arm thick, and on some of the Southeast Islands I have seen large bushes and entire forests thereof, where all the pipes were not above a finger or thumb thick, and much whiter of color than elsewhere.

Use. This reed provides the greatest use for making crates and fences, with which fish-enclosures (called Serien) are enclosed; and since mention of Serien occurs frequently in our work, it should be known from this that Seru, or, as we say in Dutch, Seri, are certain fish-gardens or traps which are formed on the shore for catching fish in them, in almost the same way that Salmon are caught among us, but with much less expense and smaller apparatus; for a Seri first consists of a long row of fences composed of mats or crates, which

Use. The greatest use of this reed consists in making fences or boards, with which one occupies the large fish-gardens (called Serien), and because we often make mention of the Serien, it should be known that Seru, or as we say in German The author uses "Duitsche" which in 17th-century Dutch often referred to the Dutch language itself or the broader Germanic vernacular Seri, are certain fish-gardens or fish-catches, which one sets on the beaches to catch fish therein, almost in the manner as the Salmon-catch among us, although much less costly and of lesser equipment; for a Seri has first a long row like a fence, of mats or boards, of these split—