:.^ HOIITUS JAMAICEN?'?^. Ci;o,coLA-m- 



found a sit;ir>k- part of diet for all ages, hut in pitrticular agreeable to iiaanrs, oUi per- 

 sons, ^uictudinarians, mid sucji us are on tlie recovery from sickness; and, prL-purecU 

 w.iili miik,. it is liiujily tip|)roveJ ot in coosuinptive habits. Froni what has been pre- 

 iiiis>'d it j'.ppears tfia; tiris is. not a plant wliich can- be every ^vhere cultivated. It vaiII 

 not tiu'ive in the <lry iow parts oi' the South side^ nor oaelev-atedorrQcJ^y spots in the 

 mountains. It reqiiires a f!at,.iiioi. soil, v^eji sheltered. by sun'ounding heif^its ;. vvliicirj. 

 occasioned -Sir Hans.'Sioa'oe to remark, *'' that it is bnt.iil living where there are good 

 Cddio walks ;'^ for \v!;ich mois^t, tmventi^ated places are, witliout douljt^the most iu>- 

 Tiliolesonie for inynkind to Jreside in. Yet, where such glades or sp Jts are found, they 

 certainly cannotybe turned to any art of cuiturethat wijl yield more profit ; aiid it does, 

 not fplidvvthat because a settler is possessed of such a spot, he is therefore to liv upon, 

 it; since the situation supposes trie neigubouriiopd, of Jii^her spots more proper tot 

 coiLstant resideiice. Lf^tigi P- &Vi>. 



The cacao or chocohite nut, a production equally delicate, wholesome, and nutri- 

 tive, is/a native of South America, arid is said to have been originally conveyed to His- 

 paniola from some of tuq provinces of New Spain, where besides affordiog the natives 

 ah article of nourishment, it served the purpose of money ; an.d was used by them as a 

 medium in barter-; one hundrec}'nd fifty of the nuts being considered of rriucii the 

 same value as a lyal by the Spaniards. From this eircuniiuance it seems pFobable, that 

 if the ancient inhabitants of South America were emigrants from Europe or Asia, they 

 must have detached themselves at ai;i early period, before metals were converted into 

 coin.3, or from some society which had made but moderate advances in civilization. 



The fift!) year the tree bears, and the eighth attains its full perfection. .: It is obnoxi~: 

 ous to blii^hts, and shrinks from the first.appearance of drought. It has happened that 

 tlie greatest part of a whole plafitation of cacao trees have perished in a single night, 

 without a visible cause. Circumstiuices of this nature, in early times, gave rise to many 

 superstitious notions concernmg this tree, ai>d,. among others, the appearance of a 

 comet was always considered ^, fata:! to the cacao plantations. . 



In spite, hovveverj of the infliience of cornels, and notwithstanding the care and pre- 

 caiuion tiiat are requisite in the first esublishment oi a cacao plantation, it is certain 

 that the cultivation of this plant was both extensive and successful in the Britith sugax 

 islands, for many years after they had became subject to the British government. 

 Blome, who published a short account of Jamaica in 1672, speaks of cacao as being at 

 that time one of the chief articles of export : " There are" says he, " in tliis island, at 

 this time, about sixty cacao-walks, and many^more now planting.." ' At present, I be- 

 lieve, there is not a single cacao plantation from one end, of Jamaica to the other. A 

 few scattered trees, here and there, are all that remains of those flourishing and beau- 

 tiful groves which were once the pride and boast of the country. They have witherexis, 

 ivith tlie indigo manufacture, vmder the heavy hand of ministerial exaction. Tlie ex- 

 cise on cacao, when made into cakes, rose to no less than twelve pounds twelve shiU 

 iings per hundred weight, exclusive of eleven shillings and eleven pence half-penny, _ 

 paid at the custom-house ;, amounting together to upwards of four hundred and eighty 

 per cent, on its marketable value ! Edwards. 



Choise'ji, VEk-^Ssc Bastard Sensitive* . 



-CHRISTMAS 



