Free Republic

Written in coconut DNA are two origins of cultivation, several ancient trade routes, and the history of the colonization of the AmericasThe coconut (the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera) is the Swiss Army knife of the plant kingdom; in one neat package it provides a high-calorie food, potable water, fiber that can be spun into rope, and a hard shell that can be turned into charcoal. What’s more, until it is needed for some other purpose it serves as a handy flotation device. No wonder people from ancient Austronesians to Captain Bligh pitched a few coconuts aboard before setting...

Pacific Island Embodies Tranquility Wed Aug 14, 3:24 AM ET By EMMA TINKLER, Associated Press Writer NORFOLK ISLAND, Australia (AP) - The Norfolk Island telephone directory is thin but it speaks volumes about this rocky outcrop's history as home to descendants of 18th-century mutineers from the British warship HMS Bounty. It is so jam-packed with names like Christian and Adams that many people's nicknames — including "Pinky," "Lettuce Leaf," and "Diddles" — are printed to distinguish one family from another. About 2,100 people live on this lush island, in what they consider splendid isolation 1,000 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia....