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An.1688

Nicobar Isle. The Melory Tree and Fruit.

anchored at the N. W. end of it, in a small Bay, in 8 fathom water, not half a mile from the shore. The body of this Island is in 7 d. 30 m. North Lat. it is about 12 leagues long, and 3 or 4 broad. The South end of it is pretty high, with steep Cliffs against the Sea : the rest of the Island is low, flat, and even. The mold of it is black, and deep: and it is very well watered with small running streams. It produceth abundance of tall Trees, fit for any uses : for the whole bulk of it seems to be but one entire Grove. But that which adds most to its beauty off at Sea, are the many spots of Coco-nut Trees which grow round it in every small Bay. The Bays are half a mile, or a mile long, more or less ; and these Bays are intercepted, or divided from each other, with as many little rocky points of Woodland.

As the Coco-nut Trees do thus grow in Groves, fronting to the Sea, in the Bays, so there is another sort of Fruit Tree in the Bays bordering on the backside of the Coco Trees, farther from the Sea. It is called by the Natives a Melory Tree. This Tree is as big as our large Apple Trees, and as high. It hath a blackish rind, and a pretty broad leaf. The Fruit is as big as the Bread-fruit at Guam, de- scribed in Chapter X. or a large Penny Loaf. It is shaped like a Pear, and hath a pretty tough smooth rind, of a light green colour. The inside of the Fruit is in substance much like an Apple ; but full of small strings, as big as a brown thread. I did never see of these Trees any where but here.

The Natives of this Island are tall well-limb'd Men : pretty long visaged, with black Eyes ; their Noses middle proportioned, and the whole Sym- metry of their Faces agreeing very well. Their Hair is black and lank, and their Skins of a dark copper colour. The Women have no Hair on their