VARIATION IN THE CANE AND CANE VARIETIES 47 



time dates the declension of the Mediterranean industry, its disappearance 

 from the Levant following on the advent of the Turk with the fall of Con- 

 stantinople in 1453. Forty years later marks Columbus's second voyage 

 and the introduction of the cane to Hispaniola, now Santo Domingo. In 

 1520 it reached Mexico, 1532 and 1533 seeing its arrival in Brazil and Peru ; 

 1620 and 1751 are the dates of introduction to Argentina and Louisiana, 

 Jesuit fathers in both cases being responsible. The introduction to the 

 French and British Antilles dates from about 1630, that at Barbados being 

 known with assurance as 1641. The Mauritian industry was founded by 

 Mahe de la Bourdonnais in 1737 ; 1817 is the date of the first Australian 

 introduction, 1850 being that of Natal, in which year also Ismail Pasha re- 

 stored the Egyptian industry. 



Up to the end of the eighteenth century the New World knew only one 

 cane, the descendant of that due to Moslem civilization. When, owing to 

 later introductions, it was necessary to find a distinctive name for the 

 variety, the term Creole was adopted. 



In most sugar- growing countries of the New World this cane appears to 

 have been almost lost, and it was not till 1920 that the writer through 

 enquiring diligently was able to locate a specimen apparently authentic. 

 This he obtained through the good services of Sr. E. L. Colon and Dr. F. S. 

 Earle, of the Porto Rico Insular Experiment Station. Plate I (page i) 

 shows this cane as it appears before the yellow colour of maturity is estab- 

 lished. Contemporary literature shows, however, that the Creole cane is 

 yet planted in Brazil, the context of many passages serving to connect the 

 cane with the one under discussion. The cana blanca of the south of Spain 

 still grown there is currently believed to be that brought by the Arabs, and 

 should then without doubt be this very cane. In Louisiana the term Creole 

 cane has now become attached to the purple Java, cane (q.v], to which in 

 earlier years the name Bourbon had also been misapplied, and finally in 

 Argentina the term Criolla morada, blanca and rayada are also connected 

 with the same cane and its sports. 



The Creole cane was of a yellow colour when ripe, and of a more slender 

 habit than the canes of later introduction. An analysis by Casaseca 42 

 gives the fibre as high as 16-4 per cent. It is perhaps to be associated 

 with the Pooree cane of India, since in a report to the East India Company 

 of date 1792 there is found the remark : " West Indian planters say the 

 same sort which grows in the West Indian Islands." 



The credit of making the first deliberate introduction of a new variety 

 is probably to be given to Bougainville, who sailed round the world in 1766-68. 

 He touched at Otaheite, and to this voyage is ascribed the introduction of 

 the Otaheite cane to Mauritius and Bourbon.* 



In 1782 Cossigny 8 imported to Mauritius direct from Java a number 

 of varieties, which he carefully cultivated and distributed locally in 1789. 

 Through hi? influence the French Government imported these canes to their 

 West Indian colonies, including Cayenne, and along with these canes there 

 was at the same time taken the Otaheite cane, which on arrival also received 

 the name of Bourbon. A Martinique planter by the name of Pinel gave 

 some cuttings of this cane to a Montserrat planter in 1793, and in the same 



* Bougainville's account of his voyage makes no mention of the introduction, which seems remarkable. The 

 authorities for this statement are Humboldt, who received his information in the West Indies about 1800, Lortet 

 quoted by L^gier. and Bouton, a resident of Mauritius. "J he statement of Cuzent that i.ougainville brought a 

 violet cane from Java to Otaheite in 1782 is evidently a confusion of the dates and introductions recorded in this 

 section. 



