COCOA AND CORAL TREES. 173 



are, when young, of a pale red, and the flowers, which 

 generally spring from out the larger branches, are 

 nearly of the same hue, mixed with yellow. Unlike 

 many trees which present in their leaves and 

 flowers and fruit the most striking contrast, even 

 the oval pods, when ripe, are red or yellow. The 

 effect, therefore, of the blended foliage is extremely 

 pleasing, especially when seen amid the mountains, 

 and often in situations of peculiar and romantic 

 beauty. Two varieties are cultivated by the natives, 

 which they call forastero and Creole. The first pro- 

 duces fruit at the end of three years, and though not 

 generally considered equal to the former, is far more 

 productive, and has in consequence nearly super- 

 seded it. The second bears fruit after five years' 

 growth, and continues in perfection for twenty years. 

 Manumissions were granted formerly in Trinidad to 

 every slave who could at any time deliver one thou- 

 sand cocoa-trees to his master : it was required that 

 they should be planted by himself in an allotted 

 space. Many of the most industrious purchased 

 their freedom in this way, as the cultivation of them 

 did not infringe upon their daily tasks. 



The gathering of the seeds of the cocoa-tree 

 occurs twice every year. The principal season is in 

 December, though a considerable number are col- 

 lected in June. Men and women may be seen 

 busily emplo} r ed, and even children, in pulling off 

 the pods, from which the seeds are speedily ex- 

 tracted and placed in heaps on platforms of clay, 

 where they are suffered to ferment for a day and 

 night. They are then dried in the sun, in a manner 

 like that employed in preparing coffee ; and when 



