I04 AFRICAN COFFEES, 



present time, although it affords a field of boundless de- 

 velopment in the future. African Coffees are divided into 

 West and East Coast, the former comprising Liberian, 

 Loango, Angola, Benguelan, Congo and Natal ; the latter 

 including Abyssinian, Egyptian, Zanzibar, Mozambique, 

 Nubian, Madagascar, Bourbon and Mauritius. 



Liberian — Is produced in the Americanized colony 

 known as the " Black Republic," and is principally 

 cultivated in the district of Mesurado, on the St. Paul 

 river. It is an extremely large dark-brown bean, possess- 

 ing very marked peculiarities, being " concave-convex " 

 — technically termed " Male or pea-berry " — in form ; 

 that is, round on top, with long, deep furrow extending 

 longitudinally down the face, tightly rolled or " folded " 

 in appearance and very hard and solid in texture. When 

 roasted and infused the liquor is dark in color, heavy in 

 body and from 30 to 40 per cent, stronger in fl#?Sr than 

 that of any other variety grown, and is considered too 

 strong to use alone, but when blended in the proportion 

 of about one to three parts of some of the milder growths 

 it makes a fairly smooth and rich drinking coffee. 

 The annual production is limited — about 10,000,000 

 pounds — put up in large, coarse bags, averaging 200 

 pounds, and is principally exported to England and the 

 continent of Europe, where it is used principally, on 

 account of its ultra strength, for mixing with chicory, 

 and sold chiefly in the form of ground coffee. 



Loango — Also an indigenous variety, is grown in 

 the interior province of Encouge, deriving its trade name 

 from the port of shipment. It closely resembles Liberian 

 in form and color, but is much smaller in size and greatly 

 inferior in quality, and is sometimes termed "African 



