CACAO PALAVER 9 



out here, agricultural work is " women's palaver." 

 Now that we are nearing our destination, it is time 

 we had a little palaver about cocoa on lines that will 

 prepare us to understand what we are going to see. 



CHAPTER III 



CACAO PALAVER 



WE have met by appointment after dinner on the 

 boat deck. The air is stiflingly still and hot, but the 

 moon is shining brightly, and myriads of stars are 

 adding their lustre to the splendour of the tropical 

 night. 



I announce informally that, as arranged, we are 

 about to have a cacao palaver. 



"Cacao what's cacao ?" you chorus, following up 

 the half query, half exclamation, with a sigh that seems 

 to suggest I have brought you all this way away from 

 home under false pretences. 



Cacao, as you will soon understand, if you will 

 give me a chance to explain, is more nearly related 

 to cocoa than are coconuts. Since I overheard 

 some of you anticipating the pleasure of picking coco- 

 nuts from cocoa trees, I had better tell you, without 

 further delay, that you might just as well expect to 

 pluck cherries off an apple-tree. Coconuts are the 

 fruit of a tree belonging to the palm family, whereas 

 cocoa. . . . 



But before I go any further, please make yourselves 

 comfy in your deck chairs; if you are any the less 

 attentive to what I have to tell you because your feet 

 are up and you have a cushion at your back, mine 

 will be the blame for not telling my story in such a way 



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