Page 318

An. 1686

The Betel-Tree and Nut.

will buy their Cloves, they will fell 10 or 15 Tuns out of 100, and yet seemingly carry their comple- ment to Batavia; for they will pour water among the remaining part of their Cargo, which will swell them to that degree, that the Ships hold will be as full again, as it was before any were fold. This trick they use whenever they dispose of any clan- destinely, fot the Cloves when they first take them in are extraordinary dry; and so will imbibe a great deal of moisture. This is but one instance, of many hundreds, of little deceitful arts the Dutch Seamen in these parts have among them, of which I have both seen and heard several. I believe there are no where greater Thieves; and nothing will perswade them to discover one another; for should any do it, the rest would certainly knock him on the head. But to return to the products of Min- danao.

The Betel Nut is much esteemed here, as it is in most places of the East Indies. The Betel-tree grows like the Cabbage-tree, but it is not so big, nor so high. The body grows streight, about 12 or 14 foot high, without Leaf or Branch, except at the head. There it spreads forth long Branches like other Trees of the like nature, as the Cabbage-tree, the Coco-nut Tree, and the Palm. These Branches are about 10 or 12 foot long, and their stems near the head of the Tree, as big as a mans Arm. On the top of the Tree among the Branches, the Betel-nut grows on a tough stem, as big as a mans Finger, in clusters much as the Coco-nuts do, and they grow 40 or 50 in a cluster. This Fruit is bigger than a Nutmeg, and is much like it, but rounder. It is much used all over the East Indies. The way is to cut it in four pieces, and wrap one of them up in an Areck leaf, which they spread with a soft paste made of Lime or Plaister, and then chew it altogether. Every