14 COCOA AND CHOCOLATE. 



But they take heed of biting them, because 

 the films of the kernels are extremely bitter. 

 " When one nicely examines the inward 

 structure of these shells, and anatomizes, 

 as it were, all their parts, one shall find 

 that the fibres of the stalk of the fruit pass- 

 ing through the shell are divided into 

 five branches ; that each of these branches 

 is subdivided into several filaments, every 

 one of which terminates at the larger end 

 of these kernels, and altogether resembles 

 a bunch of grapes, containing from twenty 

 to thirty-five single ones, or more, ranged 

 and placed in an admirable order. When 

 one takes off the film that covers one of the 

 kernels the substance of it appears, which 

 is tender, smooth, and inclining to violet 

 color, and is seemingly divided into several 

 lobes, though in reality they are but two ; 

 but very irregular and difficult to be disen- 

 gaged from each other." 



An interesting supplement to this de- 



