CACAO. 67 



Hispaniola from some of the provinces of New Spain, 

 where, besides affording the natives a principal part of 

 their nourishment, it also serves the purpose of money, 

 150 of the nuts (which are about the size of Windsor 

 beans) being considered of the same value as a rial by the 

 Spaniards. 



Dampier says that the cacao tree grows nowhere in the 

 north seas but in the bay of Campeachy, on Costa Rica, 

 between Portabel and Nicaragua, chiefly up Carpenter's 

 river, and on this coast as high as the Island of Trinidada. 

 In the South Seas it grows by the river of Guiaquil, and in 

 the valley of Collima, on the south of Mexico. The nuts 

 of the coast of Caraccas, though less than those of Costa 

 Rica, which are large and flat, are better and fatter. 



It is not only an article of great internal consumption, 

 but for exportation it is one of the most valuable fruits. 

 Guthrie considers the cacao, from which chocolate is made, 

 as the next considerable article, in the natural history and 

 commerce of Mexico, to gold and silver. A garden of 

 cacao is said to produce the owner twenty thousand 

 crowns a-year. 



Chocolate was not known in England until the eleventh 

 year of the reign of Henry the Eighth, although twenty- 

 three years had elapsed since Columbus had discovered 

 the country of which it is a native. It is esteemed the 

 most restorative of all aliments, insomuch that one ounce 

 of it is said to nourish as much as a pound of beef. 



An acquaintance, on whose veracity we can rely, in- 

 formed us, that during the retreat of Napoleon's army from 

 the North, he fortunately had a small quantity of little 

 chcoolate cakes in his pocket, which preserved the life of 

 himself and a friend for several days, when they could pro- 

 cure no other food whatever, and many of their brother 

 officers perished for want. 



In all countries where chocolate is known, it is esteem- 



F2 



