Page 292
An.1686
The Coco-nut.
the Shell it self is black, thick, and very hard. The Kernel in some Nuts is near an inch thick, sticking to the inside of the Shell clear round, leaving a hollow in the middle of it, which contains about a pint, more or less, according to the bigness of the Nut; for some are much bigger than others.
This Cavity is full of sweet, delicate, wholsom, and refreshing Water. While the Nut is growing, all the inside is full of this Water, without any Kernel at all; but as the Nut grows towards its maturity, the Kernel begins to gather and settle round on the inside of the Shell, and is soft like Cream; and as the Nut ripens, it increaseth in substance and becomes hard. The ripe Kernel is sweet enough, but very hard to digest, therefore seldom eaten, except by strangers, who know not the effects of it; but while it is young and soft like pap, some men will eat it, scraping it out with a spoon, after they have drunk the water that was within it. I like the Water best when the Nut is almost ripe, for it is then sweeteft and briskeft.
When these Nuts are ripe and gathered, the out- side Rind becomes of a brown rusty colour; so that one would think that they were dead and dry: yet they will sprout out like Onions, after they have been hanging in the Sun 3 or 4 months, or thrown about in a House or Ship, and if planted afterward in the Earth, they will grow up to a Tree. Before they thus sprout out, there is a small spongy round knob grows in the inside, which we call an Apple: This at first is no bigger than the top of ones finger, but increaseth daily, fucking up the Water till it is grown so big as to fill up the Cavity of the Coco-nut; and then it be- gins to sprout forth. By this time the Nut that was hard, begins to grow oily and soft, thereby giving passage to the sprout that springs from the Apple,