CACAO. 373 



surrounding numerous seeds : these are the cacao of 

 commerce. These seeds are oval-formed, and about 

 as large as a moderate-sized almond-kernel, but not 

 so slender ; they are internally of a very dark brown 

 colour, approaching to black, and are covered with a 

 thin skin or husk, of a light reddish-brown colour. 

 The nuts are very numerous, but vary in this respect, 

 some pods containing as many as a hundred, while 

 others do not yield more than twenty, seeds : they 

 are of a very oily nature. 



The trees are raised from seed, which is sown 

 under the shade of the coral-tree, or the banana, and 

 they do not come into bearing until six or seven years 

 old. Their cultivation does not call for any great 

 application of labour ; and when the trees are once 

 in a productive state, they require hut little attention 

 beyond that necessary for merely collecting the 

 produce. 



Cacao is principally used after having been made 

 into cakes, to which the name of chocolate is given. 

 The method anciently employed by the Indians in 

 making these cakes, was simply to roast the seeds in 

 earthen pots, and after clearing them from the husks, 

 which by reason of the heat employed could be easily 

 removed, the raked seeds were bruised between two 

 stones, and made up with the hands into cakes. The 

 process at present used by Europeans does not differ 

 greatly from that just described : more care is taken 

 in grinding the seeds after they are roasted, so as to 

 convert them into a paste which is perfectly smooth, 

 and some flavouring ingredients are added, according 

 to the taste of the people who are to consume the 

 chocolate. Cloves and cinnamon are much used for 

 this purpose bjp the Spaniards ; other aromatics, and 

 even perfumes, such as musk and ambergris, have 

 sometimes been added ; but the principal flavouring 

 ingredient used with cacao is vanilla, a short notice 



VOL. xv. 32 



