54 THE GOLD COAST 



and is complete when the liquor, thus formed, has im- 

 pregnated the interior of the bean and changed the colour 

 of it from purple to rich chocolate brown. The shell 

 becomes toughened, and the remaining pulp is more 

 easily removed after this process has been undergone. 

 Washing, if it is considered necessary, is then proceeded 

 with, and is generally done in Ceylon, though not in the 

 West Indies. Drying is chiefly done in the sun in the 

 West Indies, and the beans are spread thickly and turned 

 constantly. Drying houses, which have roofs capable of 

 being slid over the cocoa on the approach of rain, are 

 used. In Ceylon hot air distributed by centrifugal fans 

 is the common method. Polishing, which is often em- 

 ployed in the West Indies, is done by sifting finely pow- 

 dered red earth over the partly dried beans while they 

 are exposed to the sun, when, it is maintained, the earth 

 assists to remove the remaining pulp as well as to absorb 

 the moisture, at the same time giving the surfaces of 

 the beans a polished exterior. Annatto is said to be 

 used instead of red earth in Venezuela, but the addition 

 of this is, presumably, with the object of colouring, rather 

 than polishing. " Dancing " is an operation designed to 

 prevent the development of mildew, and consists of 

 treading the beans with the bare feet. 



Some of the large manufacturers in Europe have 

 recommended that the Gold Coast planters should 

 ferment their produce, but should not wash the beans 

 after fermentation. 



Markets. Certain large cocoa-buying centres are recog- 

 nised, which, in the Volta River district, are situated at 

 the foot of the hilly country, in positions convenient for 

 transport to the ports of shipment. In addition to these, 

 however, a good deal of buying is proceeded with at smaller 

 places in the midst of the growing districts, but these 

 probably represent the localities for the transactions carried 

 on by agents or middlemen. Until the produce is actually 

 in the hands of the shippers, the conveyance of cocoa 

 is almost entirely done by head-loads of about 60 Ibs. 

 The head-load is the standard for trading, and the local 

 price quoted is always with reference to it. It is cus- 

 tomary for the buying shippers to send out their agents 

 to the cocoa districts to arrange for the purchase of the 

 crops, and it is always necessary that such purchases 



