Clusius was in the right to say, that the shell of this nut was formed of several fibrous parts, but those fibres resemble rather those of the shell of a coco, than the fibrous parts of the back of the areca nut.

"This revolver does no less," remarked Simoun, firing at an areca-palm some two hundred paces away.

I nevertheless agree, that the perfect monopoly of the areca fruit, or bonga, is impracticable, till the trees, indiscriminately planted, are cut down, and, in the same way as the tobacco plantations, fresh and definite grounds are laid out for its cultivation, on account of the revenue.

Noticing a pot of areca nut toothpaste on a chemist's counter, I asked him what the peculiar properties of the areca nut werein short, what was it good for.