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So far T have met with no account of the introduction 

 of kola into Jamaica; but it was probably introduced into 

 this island during the era of the slave-trade; and it may not 

 be too far-fetched a supposition to imagine that t he seeds 

 may have b9en brought from Africa as the sole and valued 

 treasure of a slave. At any rate there is some evidence to 

 show that the old slaves, if not the introducers, were at least 

 the conservators of the plant in this its new home, where it is 

 now thoroughly naturalized. If we accept the view that it was 

 introduced into this island at the same time as the akee, we 

 have the authority of Bryan Edwards for fixing the date at 

 1778, when Dr. Thomas Clarke, the first Island Botanist, ob- 

 tained it on board a West African slave-ship. The akee was 

 again introduced into Jamaica, from St. Helena, by the cele- 

 brated Captain Bligh, in 1793, in the memorable voyage of 

 the Providence, winch brought the bread-fruit to Jamaica. 

 It is therefore probable that the kola tree has been natu- 

 ralized in this island for upwards of a century. My first ac- 

 quaintance with the kola was made soon after the time of 

 my arrival, some eleven years ago, when it was pointed out 

 to me as growing in that part of an abandoned sugar-estate 

 known as the "negro-house-piece/' where I found it flourish- 

 ing as a goodly solitary tree amid the cocoa-nut palms, the 

 star-apple trees, and old tamarinds, which had been planted 

 by the negroes in their yards, whilst their cottages and former 

 dwellings had entirely disappeared. These old negro-house 

 gardens are picturesque and interesting features of many a 

 sugar estate; and they furnish good hunting grounds to the 

 economic botanist, who is sure to find something of interest 

 amidst the variety of vegetable growth to be found there. 

 On the occupied estates such places now constitute the cocoa- 

 nut walks, the tamarind avenues, and orange-groves, left as a 

 legacy by the departed slaves. At that time, and in that 

 particular part of the island, the " Byssi" tree, as it is called 

 by the Creoles, was rather scarce and a rarity, but I subse- 

 quently found it growing in other much similar places, and 

 also planted in the house-grounds of the small settlers; but it 

 was not then grown to the extent that it now is, for of late 

 years there has been a considerable diffusion of the plant in 

 various parts of the island. This increased diffusion is partly 

 due to increased attention given to it, owing to publicity, and 

 partly to an increased appreciation of its virtues by the 

 country people, so that at length the fruit has come to make 

 its appearance in the Kingston markets, and is bought and 

 sold amongst tlie natives. It is used by them as a masticatory, 

 and an infusion is made of the grated nut and used as a 

 stomachic and carminative in colics, etc., taking the place of 

 ginger-tea in domestic medicine. So far as I can gather. 



