COFFEE CACAO SUGAR. 59 



difficult to say, whether the coffee-drinkers or tea- 

 drinkers are the most numerous, or which of the two 

 articles has the greatest consumption. 



THE CACAO 



Is a pretty large tree, always bearing flowers and 

 leaves. Its tr-uit from which chocolate is made, is al- 

 most as large as a cucumber, and has nearly the same 

 shape : but the shell is divided like the rind of a 

 meJon. These shells are filled with pretty large nuts 

 or seeds, to the number of thirty or forty in each 

 shell, and which are enveloped in a kind of white 

 pith, of an agreeable taste. The nuts being toasted 

 are afterwards pounded, and made up into the paste 

 called chocolate, which is more nourishing, and es- 

 tecrned more wholesome, than either cotiee or tea. 

 The Spaniards first introduced it into Europe, A. D. 

 1529 ; and since that time, until 1646, they and the 

 Portuguese were the only people among whom it 

 was used. Afterwards it became known to other na- 

 tions, and about A. D. 1680, it began to be an article 

 of commerce. In, using either tea, coffee, or choco- 

 late, sugar is among us reckoned an almost indispen- 

 sable ingredient, although the Chinese never mix it 

 with their tea. Its general use, therefore, in this 

 country inclines me to suppose, that it would be; plea- 

 sing to you to acquire some knowledge of the plant 

 from which it is produced. 



THE SUGAR-CANE 



Is a reed which grows to the height of nine or ten 

 feel, and the thickness of a strong walking carie. It 

 \A encircled with Knots, at the distance of four or five 

 fingers' breadth from one another, and from each of 

 these a leaf is produced, which falls as the cane ri- 

 pens. When completely ripe it is cut down, and 

 pressed with rollers, in order to squeeze out the juice, 

 which is instantly boiled to prevent its turning sour. 

 After being boiled to a certain consistency, it is im- 

 ported from the sugar colonies to Europe, and after- 

 wards refined by various methods in our sugar-houses. 



This highly valuable plant is cultivated in the 

 island of Sicily, in the kingdom of Naples, in Spainj 



