CACAO AND CHOCOLATE. 103 



In 1728, Philippe V. sold the monopoly of that commerce 

 to a company of Spanish merchants, with the faculty to ship 

 for Vera Cruz (Mexico) all the seeds which could not be 

 imported to Spain. 



After this, Cacao was imported to Italy and in France, 

 but in the last country its use was very limited until the 

 marriage of Louis XIII. with Anne of Austria. The Spanish 

 Infanta was very fond of chocolate, and continued to have it 

 at breakfast. Soon after this, all the Court ladies copied her r 

 and enjoyed this beverage. 



During the reign of Louis XIV., its use had made such 

 progress that this King, in 1692, gave the monopoly of its 

 sale to one of his favourites. A tax of about seven pence per 

 pound was imposed on all seeds imported, and the price of 

 chocolate was fixed at six francs per pound, a little less than 

 four shillings and tenpence. 



Under the reign of Louis XV. the custom of drinking 

 chocolate progressed considerably, and the annual consump 

 tion reached the large total of 300,000 pounds ; but this 

 is nothing compared to the quantity manufactured by the first 

 French Company, which made use of steam engines, for the 

 first time. 



About 1820, this company required annually about six 

 millions of pounds of cacao-seeds, and manufactured twenty 

 millions of pounds of chocolate, which is still nothing, com 

 pared with the quantity required for the actual fabrication of 

 that commodity. 



Now large plantations of c?.cao trees exist, not only in 

 all the tropical countries of America, but also in Java, and 

 many other Asiatic countries. The countries which produce 

 the best qualities are Soconusco, and several other places in 

 the Department of Oaxaca (Mexico), Mazatenango, and other 

 places in the Department of Juchitepec (Guatemala), 

 Granada in Nicaragua, Caracas in Venezuela, and many 

 other places in South America ; but the large plantations 

 near Guayaquil, in Ecuador, produce more than any other, 

 but the quality is much inferior. The seeds are larger, more 

 flattened, and blackish ; meanwhile those of the other 

 countries mentioned, are smaller, somewhat rounded, and of a 

 beautiful pale rufous colour. 



The Guayaquil, as it is commercially called, has less 

 value ; but, nevertheless, it is bought in large quantities in 

 America and in Europe for mixing with the other qualities. 



The usual height of the Cacao tree is from twenty to thirty 

 II 



