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cone, or rather of that useful piece of furniture called a 

 dumb-waiter, and its foliage is, at the same time, so 

 copious, that not a ray can touch those who repose under 

 its shade. 



" Our first excursion from Chamarel's was to the Grand 

 Cascade or wateifall, about half a mile from the house, con- 

 sidered by the Creoles as the eighth wonder of the world. 

 They assign to it the height of 750 feet. It may be reckoned 

 fully 500 feet. The fall is perfectly uninterrupted, the water 

 never touching from the time it pours over the edge of the 

 rock until it falls into the basin below. During summer the 

 stream is scanty, and a great part of it is dissipated in its fall ; 

 but in the rainy season, and after one of those torrents that 

 occasionally inundate the island, this cataract must be a 

 tremendous object indeed. 



" The chief produce of the plantation is Coffee. This is 

 the seed of the Coffea arabica of Botanists. The berry is 

 about the size of an acorn, of a scarlet colour, and sweetish 

 taste, combined with a little of the coffee flavour. These 

 berries are picked off as they become ripe, and exposed to 

 the sun until the pulp is changed to a dry, brittle husk; then 

 beaten in wooden mortars to disengage the seeds, of which 

 each berry generally contains two. The grains are carefully 

 examined, and such as have the slightest flaw or bit of crust, 

 rejected or thrown back into the mortar. The coffee, thus pre- 

 pared, is packed up in bags made of the leaves of the Vacois, 

 {Pandamis Vacqua,) and stored for the market. The coffee- 

 shrubs are set in rows at the distance of six feet asunder; and 

 are not suffered to grow up beyond the reach of the hand. 

 One slave can manage a thousand plants, which yield, on an 

 average, as many pounds of coffee. The average duration of 

 the shrub is seven years, during four of which it yields fruit. 



*' The estate yields also a considerable return in Cloves ; 

 but they are neither so large nor so high-flavoured as those 

 produced on the low-grounds. It is probable that this tree, 

 being a native of the Molucca Islands, requires a higher 

 temperature to perfect its fruit than that of Chamarel's plant- 

 ation. The Clove-tree {Caryophyllus aromatica) grows to the 



