216 HOllTUS JAMA|CENSTS. COTFEf^ 



ever, of ite ronsideiation, compared to the time that is gained, and the labour savetly ^ 

 bv Uiis process. - "^ 



^Vhen the berries arc sufncieraly dried, which tliey are when the hiisks crackle un- 

 der the feet, Jn either of the above ways, the husk and parch mcne^sk in are retinovefl 

 by tiie peeling mill, whicli ii a circular ti'ougb about ten or twelve inches deep, \n 

 which IS a Uufje vertical roller or wheel, made c.f hard and heavy tiiTiher, from five to, 

 seven feet high, through whith an a:'ii(? is. nitssed, an! the machinerv, as its situation 

 HiRv fidmit, so cbnstnuied as t,o be turned round cUiier by wateror-hyniub s. It cx~ 

 actiy roseniblesa cyder mi.iU After the berries have been ground ir(, tl^.is niill nr.ril the 

 husks are reduced to chaff, thewhole is.passed through the faaner, which blown off the 

 chaff, and the coftes fallsdown a sloping board behind the fanner. The Ixid, black, br 

 broken, grains, as well as small stones, or othei- substances that may have fallen among it^^ 

 are picked ont,bj' the h4nd,,ani the coffee is then ut f(jr market. 



The best and-smaliest coffee is prodi^t'od by old trees, and, to have it in perfec- 

 tion, it should be ailoiveU to remaiVi on tHo, tree^ until the skin shrivels an.l the fruit 13 - 

 rGiKly to drop off. Tl)e Arabians spread cloths uiidemeath tlie trees, and shake them 

 when the fruit i? suiHcieiitly ripe to drop off readily ; and there is no doubt th;.t the. - 

 berries v;hich drop off tbems.elyes through rij^eness. make thebe&t flavoured coffee. 

 Age is said to add m.nck.to its good qualities, and. the superiority of Eastern to West 

 India coffee has .chiefly been attribistud to this circumstance; the former bein<i; miicfe 

 older before it reaches-the European marketthan the laht r. I3!r Po.hergill mentions,' 

 that he conceives Uie dryea* the soil, .and tii.e more it a?5iiii'!atps to the dry,' hot, .sandy, 

 soil of Arabia, .tlie smaller the grain will be, an.l the Ixjtter fl-Uonred ; in old coffee - 

 trees the fcvnt is smaller and better, on the .same principle, that the fruit of yojinor vval<^ 

 nut trees isj large, watery, .and insipid^ but as the tre^ gi^ows older -the. -n>i!s-f'efrea?e iri 

 size, and their taste becotnes. more agrceabie. The doctor mentii.)ns, thathv.vin"- re- . 

 ceived a present of raw Coffee I'rom the We.st Indies ^j which was so iil tti?ted as to be 

 unfit for use, but, bting.luid by in a d:y d iset f',t a vcar, was-a^ain tned. and found to 

 be greatly amended. In ar.jfciier year, he thought it would be little i:;fcrior to tl'C 

 As^iatic. if it continued to amend in propuirtion. Mr* Edwards obsenres, thetthe notion. 

 thfVt V/esr liulia coffee.is iaferi-n- to ihat..'.f the East, as being the prnuiu tion of a 

 coarser tree, neeas no other refiita ion than the .dircumstance related by the ceJebrat.-d 

 gar.lener, Mi:, Miller, ." that from plants brought frorn the West I.ulies, and- raise.} ii, 

 F^i^ii^h hoL-liou es, coltee berries liave been produce. I, which, at a proper age, ^vere 

 fo-n.i to surpass the very best Mocha that could be procured 11. Gi*eat Brit; in." Mi". 

 Miller does not .<eem tr. tui.ik that age is necessary 10 improve coff. e ; f)r, in anoti;er . 

 place, speaking 00 this subject, he.savs, " Thii scheme of keeping American coffte 

 berries several, years is contrary to all the experience I havel.aJ, and the inforniatioa 

 I.;Gan obtain fr Jin tiiose who have seen thewhole manageinent of ciffee in Arabia. 

 Two gentlemen, who had lived there some. years, assured me that the berries when -. 

 first gathered were. much ijetter ti. an. those which are kept any time : and a curious 

 giiiitl num, who resided in Barbadoe.*; two years, also. told U'e. that he n'verdr.ink 

 l)e.ter coffee in any part of the worhl, than what he made frorn the fresh hei-ries, which 

 lie gathered himself, and roasted as tie had occasion for them. This account is con- 

 fij-meci by trials witit. berries pro.'uced in our Efi^li'-h stoves, which make a bptt.-r fi,"- 

 voure.l liquor than the best Arabian .coffee berries that can be procure b i-i Englan i.'*^- 

 Tnere can be no d.iubt thiJt tne quahty of the coffee, made in the West Tidies, is fre- 

 ^ejatly nivjcji inj ured 14. the. voyage hume, fur, ivauily imbibing the siuell ou fiavo.nr of 



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