CH. IV] COFFEE, CACAO OR CHOCOLATE, KOLA, ETC. 75 



the forest, or forms part of the mixed cultivation of the West 

 Africans. It begins to bear at about seven years old, and 

 produces perhaps about 50 fruits a year on the average. The 

 seeds are gathered, and left for a few days, when the seed 

 coats can be easily rubbed off, and they are then packed in 

 leaves, and kept damp, so as to travel as fresh as possible. 

 For export they are carefully dried in the sun. The value of 

 the exports from the Gold Coast Colony in 1900 was about 

 120,000. 



Guarana. This plant (Paullinia Cupana) is a good deal 

 used in South America, but is hardly exported. The tree is 

 not unlike the cacao tree. The fruits are collected, and laid in 

 water to loosen the skin, which is then removed and the fruits 

 dried by the fire. An infusion like chocolate is made from 

 them. 



