The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 3

BOOK VI. Chapter IV. AMBOINESE HERBAL.

The root is divided into many nodes, as thick as a child's arm; it does not grow straight down, but rather creeps transversely like all these reeds. It raises itself here and there, sending out new shoots, and soon produces other lateral roots, which are fixed below by innumerable and very strong fibers. Through these, the stalk of this reed clings as firmly as possible to the earth, forming a dense, tangled mass that extends for a great distance, creating an intricate thicket of this reed.

Its Robong Malay: rebung; the edible or young bamboo shoot or shoot, which grows out of the earth, sprouts further from the mother plant than in the previous species. It begins as a pointed cone covered with sharp scales, emerging regularly around the new and full moons. In other regions, it rises to a height of twenty-five and thirty feet, but here in Amboina, it grows to a height of eighteen and twenty feet before unfolding into leaves and lateral branches. In this "horn" The emerging shoot, the nodes are already visible; they are one foot long at the bottom and a foot and a half at the top. Each is wrapped in a sheath like a boot, which is rough on the outside like the skin of a shark Latin: lamii piscis; Dutch: haayevel and smooth on the inside like parchment. When the shoot opens into leaves at the top, these sheaths gradually fall off or roll themselves into a solid mass.

All these tree-like reeds have a peculiar quality, especially the following species called Bulu swangi literally "Ghost Bamboo" or "Sorcerer's Bamboo": the younger stalks are much thicker in diameter than the old ones. Nevertheless, the old ones do not wither or become wrinkled, but remain as smooth and polished as the young ones—a comparison that anatomists often make to the human uterus.

The younger reeds are usually half-filled in their lower nodes with a clear, potable water. In these lands, this water gradually vanishes, but in other regions, it dries into a white, lime-like substance called Tabaxir Tabaxir: A silica-rich medicinal substance found in the nodal joints of some bamboo species.

Name. In Latin, Arundarbor vasaria The "Jar-Reed Tree"; in Malay, Bulu Java; in Amboinese, Terin and Telin; in Ternate, Tabatico Java; in Macassar, Bulu Totoan; in Balinese, Tielapong.

Location. The best and largest grow on Java, from which it takes its name. Here in Amboina, Ceram, and the Moluccas, it also occurs in sufficient quantities, but it is mostly planted. Over time, it has multiplied so much that one might think it was indigenous. Entire fields or Lattars open mountain plains are found occupied by this reed, as seen especially on Leytimor, in the mountains of Oerimessing. It is also planted daily in forest gardens and near houses because of the great convenience of its pipes, which is why it is forbidden to cut this reed without the owner's consent.

Use. The pipes of this reed are in daily use for fetching water. The longest internodes are chosen, leaving the nodes intact on both ends, though a transverse hole is made at one end through which the water is received. Alternatively, they take a stalk consisting of two or three internodes and pierce through the upper and middle nodes. The servant girls and women carry these reeds on their shoulders to fetch water from the river in the evening, filling them for their entire family for the following day. Water is preserved very well in these reeds and takes on no aftertaste, provided they are plugged.

The reeds that are left on the tree turn whitish or pale yellow as they age. From these, various kinds of boxes, flasks, and mats are made; such vessels are also hung on Saguero Sugar palm and Calappa Coconut trees to collect the drink that drips from them. The locals always carry a good supply of these reeds on their vessels, especially on those called Korra-Korra Korra-Korra: Large, traditional Moluccan rowing vessels, so that they can draw water wherever they land at a river.

In old India, Java, Bali, Celebes, and all places where Gabba Gabba: The dried midribs of the sago palm leaf, used as a primary building material is lacking, all the walls of houses, floors, fixed benches, and fences (or paggers) are made of this reed. First, it is rubbed with sand until all the greenness is removed and the entire reed becomes white or pale yellow. It is then split into four or more slats which are joined together. The whole stalks are suitable for making ladders and the masts of small vessels. These pipes, opened at one end and filled with water, are also very useful for extinguishing small fires, as the water can be projected a considerable distance from them.

The root is divided into many sections, as thick as a child's arm, not going straight down, but creeping crosswise in the manner of all these reeds, raising itself here and there and bringing forth new shoots. There it immediately shoots out other roots to the side, hung from beneath with countless strong fibers, with which the stalk stands very firmly in the ground and makes a tangled clump, so that one finds a large area of this reed hanging together by the roots.

Its Robong or young reed comes out a bit further from the mother stalk than in the previous ones, first as a sharp cone covered with sharp scales, coming to light each time around the new and full moon. In other lands it shoots up to twenty-five and thirty feet, but here in Amboina to eighteen and twenty, before it divides itself into leaves and side-branches. However, on this "horn" one can already notice the nodes, which are a foot long at the bottom and a foot and a half at the top, wrapped all around with a sheath; like a stocking, rough on the outside like shark skin, smooth on the inside like parchment. When the horn opens into leaves at the top, these sheaths fall off one after another, roll up together, and become stiff.

All the species of this tree-like reed have a wondrous property, especially the following Bulu swangi, namely that the young stalks are much thicker in the trunk than the old ones, and yet the old ones do not shrink or become wrinkled, but remain just as smooth as the young ones; the Anatomists point out similar examples in the Womb of a Woman.

The young reeds are also commonly half full, or less filled, in the lower nodes with a clear water, good for drinking, which in this country disappears with time, but in other lands dries up into a white lime-like substance, which is called Tabaxir.

Name. In Latin Arundarbor vasaria, in Malay Bulu Java, on Ambon Terin and Telin, on Ternate Tabatico Java, on Macassar Bulu Totoan, on Bali Tielapong.

Place. The best and largest are found growing on Java, from which they take their name. Here in Amboina, Ceram, and the Moluccas one has them in reasonable quantity, but mostly planted, having increased so much over time that one would take them for indigenous, for one finds whole lands or large fields of them, as among others on Leytimor, in the mountains of Oerimessing. They are still planted daily in the forest gardens and near the houses because of the great convenience of their pipes, therefore it is also not permitted to cut down this reed anywhere without the consent of the Owners.

Use. The pipes of this reed are in daily use for fetching water, for one takes either the longest sections and leaves the nodes on both sides whole—at one end one makes a hole crosswise through which the water runs in—or one leaves a piece of two or three sections together and knocks through the top and middle nodes. With these reeds, the maids and the women go on their shoulders to the River in the evening and fill them with water for their whole family for the next day; for the water is very well preserved in these reeds without taking on any taste from them, if only they are plugged.

The reeds that are left on the tree, becoming old, are whitish or light yellow, from which one makes all kinds of boxes, jugs, and mats; such are also hung on the Saguero and Coconut trees when one taps drink from them. The inhabitants always carry a good supply of these reeds on their vessels, especially on the Korra-Korra, to scoop drinking water everywhere they land at a River.

In old India, Java, Bali, Celebes, and all places where one has no Gabba, all the walls of the houses, attics, fixed benches, fences, or paggers are made of this reed, if one first scrubs the same with sand until all the greenness comes off and the whole reed becomes white or pale yellow, which one splits into four or more slats and sews together. The whole stalks are fit to make ladders from, and fish-traps, and masts on small vessels. Likewise, these pipes, opened at one end and filled with water, are also very useful for extinguishing some fire, for one can throw the water far with them.