C A R A C C A S. 







Sugar. 



ntly. Instead of stuffing it into unwieldy bales 

 of three hundred weight, as is usually done, they 

 make small packages of a quintal, which, by the aid 

 of presses, arc reduced to so small a compass, that 

 each package is not more than fifteen inches in length, 

 nor from ten to twelve in breadth. Each package 

 ii in general covered with an ox's hide, in such a 

 manner as to protect the cotton from all damage. 



Coffee, which, in the colonies of every other na- 

 tion, had, for more than half a century, formed an 

 important branch of commerce, was cultivated in the 

 Transatlantic dominions of Spain merely as an arti- 

 cle of domestic consumption, till Don Barthelemy 

 Blandin, in 1784, devoted to its exclusive cultiva- 

 tion a property which he possessed in the valley of 

 Chacao, within one league of the town of Caraccas. 

 The valley of Aragoa, where all the enterprise and 

 activity of the Spaniards seems to be concentrated, 

 was the first to adopt this new branch of cultiva- 

 tion ; and so rapid and general was the influence of 

 its example, that not only all the new plantations, 

 commenced since 1796, are in coffee, but many plant- 

 ers have abandoned cacao and indigo to make way 

 for its cultivation. Still, however, the culture of 

 coffee is so far from having attained the increase of 

 which it is susceptible in this extensive and fertile 

 country, that the quantity produced, independent of 

 what is used for domestic consumption, does not ex- 

 ceed 1,000,000 pounds. Less attention is paid by 

 the Spaniards to their coffee in the various stages of 

 its growth, as well as in its preparation, than its im- 

 portance demands. The weeding of it, in particu- 

 lar, is so much neglected, that the young plants 

 have to struggle continually against weeds, which 

 not only impede their growth, but threaten their ex- 

 istence. In gathering the crop they are equally care- 

 less. The cherry which has just begun to redden, 

 as well as that which is thoroughly red, is indiscri- 

 minately gathered, and delivered to the process of 

 fermentation, which is itself defective. 



In ail the other European colonies situated be- 

 tween the tropics, sugar is the prime article of com- 

 mercial produce. In Caraccas, it enjoys only a se- 

 condary rank ; for, though it is raised in consider- 

 able quantities for home consumption, scarcely any 

 of it is. exported. The quantities of sugar which 

 the Spaniards devour, furnish a sufficient explana- 

 tion of the deficiency of this branch of their com- 

 merce. The inhabitants of Caraccas, without dis- 

 tinction of condition, fortune, or colour, make su- 

 gar the principal article of their food. Guarapo> an 

 intoxicating beverage, of which all classes, particu- 

 larly those of inferior rank, are passionately fond, is 

 produced by the fermentation of sugar in water. In 

 the banquets of the rich, confectionary holds the 

 most distinguished place. Their deserts sometimes 

 consist of two or three hundred dishes of sugars, 

 tastefully arranged and moulded into every shape 

 that can be imagined to excite the admiration of the 

 company. In a word, there is not a single negro, 

 whether freeman or slave, whose meal does not con- 

 sist of a little cacao boiled in a great quantity of wa- 

 ter, and a large lump of coarse sugar, which he eats 

 like bread. It can scarcely be wondered, then, that 

 ugar should make such a trifling figure among- the 



exports of the Caraccas. The sugar plantation* are 

 generally in the vicinities of towns, because there 

 i is readiest, and the greatest facilities arc af- 

 forded to cultivation. The planters of Terra Firma 

 are very skilful in distinguishing the qualities of soil 

 which sugar requires, of which the excellence of their 

 su-jar affords an indisputable proof. Before the year 

 17!X>, all their plantations contained the same cane 

 that is raised in the other colonies. At that time, 

 the cane of Otaheite was brought from Trinidad, 

 and its advantages seemed so great that it was gene- 

 rally adopted. Notwithstanding the excellence of 

 soil in Caraccas, its sugar, from want of due care 

 and skill in the different stages of its preparation, 

 is much inferior in crystallization and whiteness to 

 that of the other colonies. The alkali which they 

 employ consists chiefly of ashes, which, besides giv- 

 ing the sugar a brown tinge, prevents it from acqui- 

 ring the proper consistence. Their method of drying 

 the sugar appears likewise very exceptionable. They 

 spread it upon an elevated platform, covered by a 

 grooved roof. In fair weather, they shove aside this 

 roof, that the sugar may be exposed to the rays of 

 the sun. The sugar, however, has time to regain, 

 during the rains, or from the dampness of the night, 

 the humidity which the sun had drawn off ; and the 

 transitions from dry to damp, and from damp to dry, , 

 necessarily destroy the grain of the sugar, and pre- 

 vents it from being sufficiently consolidated to render 

 it durable. Another cause of the general inferiority 

 of sugar in Caraccas is, that the planters find their 

 interest in selling as sugar a mass composed of all the 

 molasses, and of eight tenths of the mucilage, which 

 are justly regarded in the other colonies as heteroge- 

 neous particles. The poor, who subsist principally 

 on this impure compound, procure it at a small ex- 

 pence, and habit makes them prefer it to clayed su- 

 gar. For the fabrication of the guarajto t too, this 

 compound is much preferable to clayed sugar, be- 

 cause it possesses, in a superior degree, the princi- 

 ples of fermentation. In a short time, the manufac- 

 ture of sugar will probably be much improved in the 

 provinces of Caraccas ; for the valuable work of Du- 

 trone on the history of the cane, and on the means of 

 obtaining sugar in greater quantity, and of better qua- 

 lity, than by the ordinary process, is in the hands of 

 several planters, who are prevented from applying its 

 principles only by the difficulty of procuring the 

 proper utensils. 



The cultivation of tobacco was at first free ; but Tobacco, 

 the necessities of the state, and the expences of the 

 government of Caraccas and its dependencies, at 

 length induced the king to reserve to himself the ex- 

 clusive privilege of planting and selling it here, as he 

 had done long before in the kingdoms of Mexico, 

 Peru, and Santa Fe. A cedule, executed in 1779, 

 severely prohibited all persons from sowing tobacco, 

 and fixed upon the places which were considered the 

 most suitable in the different provinces for cultiva- 

 ting and preparing tobacco on the king's account. 

 In each of these places administrations were esta- 

 blished, all subject to a director-general of tobacco, 

 residing at Caraccas, with a salary of 4000 dollars. 

 The persons entrusted with these administrations, dis- 

 tribute allotments of the land appropriated to the 



