The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 3

...place, which is entirely inaccessible, and it can be so guided by its curved branches or shoots that wide hedges can be formed from them; however, see the further description of this at the end of this Chapter.

Name. In Latin, Arundarbor spinosa & Vallaris original: "Arundarbor spinosa & Vallaris"; literally "Thorny Tree-Reed and Rampart Reed", as it often stands near ramparts. In Malay, it is called Bulu baduri; in the languages of Amboina and Ternate, Teba Teba; in Loehoeca, Wanake; and in Chinese, Tsjitick, which means "thorny reed."

Location. In Amboina it occurs rarely, growing mostly on Little Ceram and Manipa, and in small quantities in the Uliaffer islands The Lease Islands: Saparua, Haruku, and Nusa Laut at the feet of stony mountains. It is also known in Java, where it is used for massive hedges that act as thick walls, as solid as a fortress; these occur especially around the famous mountain and temple of Ghiri Giri, a significant religious site in East Java behind Grisecham Gresik, where this reed is planted and carefully cultivated, though it is difficult to plant and does not grow in every soil. It is rarely found in the southern part of China, but is more abundant in the regions of Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Quinhon, as well as in Taiwan. In those aforementioned lands, it is mostly planted around cities in place of a rampart, and it creates such a dense and wide hedge that it serves as a solid wall. Since it corresponds so closely with the Bulu swangi, I believe the thorny bamboo found in Ceylon modern Sri Lanka and Malabar India belongs to this species.

Use. This reed cannot serve for making vessels, as it has only a small internal capacity, nor can it be used for roof beams, as it is too heavy and crooked. On the other hand, it is very suitable for posts and stakes, especially for fortifications, behind which an earthen rampart or mound is built. Among all species of reeds, it is the most durable when placed in the earth and does not breed woodworms original: "cossos". We experienced this with great loss and frustration during that very grave war which Quimehala Madjira Majira of Kimelaha, a local leader who led a revolt against the Dutch East India Company waged against us in the year 1651. In that conflict, the enemies had formed all their mounds and ramparts from such stakes, placed half a fathom apart. The space between them was filled with wickerwork; on the inner part of the ramparts, other stakes were placed and joined to the outer ones by reed anchors, and the middle space was filled with earth and sand. This appeared to be a cheap work that one would think could be kicked down or pushed over, but experience taught otherwise: we could inflict no damage with our cannons. If a ball did not directly strike the reeds themselves, it was soon smothered in the soft sand through the wickerwork, and the rampart remained immobile. They had learned this method of fortifying from the Macassarese, who in their own country know how to build such defenses very skillfully from sand and reeds. It is not necessary that all stakes be of this Teba Teba, which, as said, is rare; the following Bulu swangi performs the same function. From the thickest reeds, measures and flasks are also formed, since they do not become decayed or eaten by worms. In Puloaya Pulo Ay in the Banda Islands, this reed is used for building houses, and there, clear water sometimes settles in the hollows of the pipes (if it is not Bulu swangi), just as it does in Bulu feru.

P.S. This species forms a very intricate and vast shrub, completely impassable, which is armed on all sides from the bottom to the top with thorny branches that bear no leaves. Its stalks are at most an arm thick, but usually thinner, and their joints original: "internodia" are a span apart. They have a flat groove on one side from which a transverse branch rises; from this, lateral transverse branchlets sprout, and from their nodes others again, smaller and armed with thorns like those of a lemon tree. Some thorns are hooked, some transverse, and from the longest ones a branchlet gradually arises. The upper branchlets bear few leaves, which are the thinnest and finest of all reeds, four to four and a half inches long, without any fuzz or roughness, finely striped lengthwise; they roll up like straw stalks if they are broken off.

This reed is the thickest and most solid of all, so that in the cut branches one can hardly find a cavity large enough to hold a needle, though the larger nodes are more spacious, as mentioned above.

It is planted and propagated by simple nodes placed obliquely in the earth. It occurs in Manipa and Huamohela, as well as in the Uliaffer islands, where it is called Tomu schittoe and in Malay, Bulu-schit.

...impassable, and it allows itself to be guided by its crooked branches so that wide hedges can be made from them. A broader description of this can be seen at the end of this Chapter.

Name. In Latin Arundarbor spinosa and Vallaris, which is Rampart Reed; in Malay Bulu baduri; in Amboina and Ternate Teba Teba; on Loehoe Wanake; in Chinese Tsjitick, which is "thorny reed."

Place. In Amboina it is little found, mostly occurring on Little Ceram and Manipa, also a little in the Uliaffers, on the slopes of stony mountains. On Java it is also known, where it is used for large hedges, which become a thick wall and serve for fortification, as can be seen among others around the famous mountain and temple at Ghiri Giri behind Grijsek Gresik, where it is planted and maintained, though it is somewhat difficult to plant and does not come up in all kinds of soil. In the southern part of China one finds it little, but more abundantly in the lands of Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Quinhon, as well as in Taiwan, being planted in the first-named lands mostly around all cities instead of a wall, so densely and broadly woven together that it serves as a solid wall. Since it has such a great resemblance to the Bulu swangi, I hold this variety to be the thorny bamboos found on Ceylon and Malabar.

Use. For vessels this reed cannot serve, because it has little hollowness, and for rafters on roof-work neither, because it is too heavy and crooked. On the other hand, it is very fit for posts and poles, especially on fortresses, behind which one lays an earthen wall or breastwork, for among all reed sorts it is the most durable in the earth and is not subject to the worm. This we experienced to our sorrow in the heavy War that the Majira of Kimelaha Quimehala Madjira provoked against us in the year 1651, where the enemies had made most of all their fortifications and walls from such poles, standing half a fathom from each other. The space between both was filled with boards wickerwork; on the inside stood other poles which were fixed to the outer ones with bamboo anchors, and the space between both was filled with earth and sand. This seemed a contemptible work, that one would think could be run down with feet, but it proved quite otherwise: we could do no damage to it with our cannon, for unless the ball hit exactly in such bamboos, it flew through the boards into the loose sand and was smothered immediately, the wall staying just as firm. This manner of fortifying with bamboos and sand they had learned from the Macassarese, who in their land are very ready with it. The poles do not exactly have to be all of this Teba Teba, which, as said, is little found, but the following Bulu swangi can do the same. From the thickest reeds, measures and jugs are also made, because they do not become worm-eaten. On Puloay this reed serves for making pipes; one also finds there in the hollowness of the pipes (if it is not the Bulu swangi) a clear water, just as also in the Bulu feru.

P.S. This sort puts out a powerful tangled shrub that is not to be passed, being set from the bottom up with thorny branches on which one sees no leaves. The stalks are at most an arm thick, but commonly thinner, and the joints are a span from each other, having on one side a flat groove, namely where the transverse branch comes out. On the same come again other side-branches, right transverse, and from their joints again others, on which the thorns stand, like lemon-thorns; some backward, some transverse, and from the longest of these a little branch is formed in time. The uppermost little branches carry few leaves, being the thinnest and finest among all the bamboo sorts—namely four to four and a half inches long—without any woolliness or roughness, finely striped lengthwise; they roll immediately into each other like straw-stalks when one breaks them off.

The reed is the thickest and most massive among all the Bamboos, so that one hardly sees a hollowness in the cut-off little branches in which a large needle may go, though the largest joints have a hollowness as mentioned above.

One plants it with single joints that one sticks obliquely into the earth. It is found on Manipa and Huamobel, as well as in the Uliaffers, where it is called Tomu schittoe, and in Malay Buluschit.