270 Mr. James Epps, Jun., on 
pepper. Cinnamon, cloves, almonds, hazel nuts, vaynillas, musk, 
amber-grise, orange-flower water are things usually put in or 
omitted; as also nutmeg, lemon and citron peel, cardamoms, 
fennel seeds, chemical oil of nutmeg and cinnamon, and the most 
delicate spice called Jamaica pepper; and achiote, too, is some- 
.times left out or changed for santals, according to the device of 
the chocolata maker. 
In the common chocolata sold so cheap there is not anything 
but eight ounces of the nuts prepared and powdered, seven ounces 
of sugar, and one ounce of spice; that is, half an ounce of 
cinnamon, two drachms of Jamaica pepper or other pepper, and 
as much of cloves, nutmeg, and lemon peel; some colour it with 
achiote; some decline to do so; some put into each pound, to 
make it extraordinary, six grains of red pepper or chilies. I may 
say that the Indians made their chocolate of the cacao beans, 
mixed with maize-flour and honey, and this specimen of 
chocolate is one made about thirty years ago in Venezuela, 
from an old Indian receipt. 
The following extract is from ‘The Complete Dictionary of 
Arts and Sciences,’ published in 1764:—‘‘Chocolate in com- 
merce, a kind of paste, or cake prepared of certain drugs, the 
basis of which is the Cacao nut. The Indians, in their first 
making of chocolate, used to roast the Cacao in earthen pots and, 
having afterwards cleared it of the husks, and bruised it between 
two stones, they made it into cakes with their hands. The 
Spaniards improved this method. When the cacao is properly 
roasted and well cleansed, they pound it in an iron mortar, to 
reduce it into a coarse mass, which they afterwards grind or 
levigate on a stone, under which a charcoal fire is kept, till it be 
of the utmost fineness; when the paste is sufficiently ground, it 
is put quite hot into tin moulds, in which it congeals in a very 
little time. Complaints are made that the Spaniards mix with 
the cacao too great a quantity of cloves and cinnamon, besides 
other drugs without number, as musk, ambergris, &c. The 
grocers of Paris use few or none of these ingredients, but only 
choose the best nuts (which are called Caraccas, from the place 
where they are produced), the freshest vanilla, and the finest 
sugar, but seldom any cloves. Among the English the chocolate 
is made of the simple cacao, excepting that sometimes sugar and 
sometimes vanilla is added.’ So much for the old way of making 
chocolate. 
Cocoa beans are imported into this country in bags averaging 
in weight about 13 cwt. each. The first operation carried out by 
the manufacturer is the blending of the numerous varieties and 
qualities of cocoa; this requires great care and judgment. This 
being done, the cocoa beans are placed in revolving iron cylinders 
over a bright coke or charcoal fire and roasted. After coming 
