COOK — THE COCONUT PALM IN AMERICA. 283 



though he refers to the finding of coconuts by Columbus during the 

 fourth voyage, when the coast of Central America was explored. a 



In this case an error appears to have been made, which has been 

 copied into some of our works of reference. The only passage that 

 it seems likely to have been interpreted in this way relates to the 

 seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made, not to the nuts 

 of the coconut palm. 6 



ABUNDANCE OF COCONUT PALMS IN PORTO RICO. 



The earliest record of the coco palm in the West Indies given by 

 De Candolle was that of Acosta, who visited America in the latter 

 half of the sixteenth century and saw coco palms at San Juan, Porto 

 Rico, from which De Candolle infers that the alleged introduction 

 "probably took place a few years after the discovery of America." 

 The context of Acosta's allusion to the coconut at San Juan does not, 

 however, support such a conjecture, since it is apparent that Acosta, 

 who was a learned and careful historian, was describing the coconut 

 as a notable product of the "Indies," after spending seventeen years 

 in America. The coconuts at San Juan, if brought by the Spaniards, 

 even from Panama, could not have been there for many decades, so 

 that Acosta's mention of them is better evidence against a Spanish 

 introduction than for it. 



Acosta does not say how many coco palms he saw at San Juan, but 

 the chaplain of the Duke of Cumberland, who visited Porto Rico in 

 1598 gives us an account of the coconut palms of that island which 

 would not be inapplicable at the present day, and which precludes all 

 reasonable doubt that at the end of the sixteenth century the coco 

 palm existed in Porto Rico in such size and in such numbers as to 

 render incredible any recent introduction, subsequent to the arrival 

 of the Spaniards. 



The body of them is but slender, no where so bigge as a man's middle, and upwards 

 growing proportionably lesse, till they are risen some thirtie or fortie foot high without 

 sprig or bough, then breake out their boughs all at once, euery one whereof is iust like 

 a goodly Ostridge feather; their leaues are so cunningly set together, euery one whereof 



a " . . . Eastward from the Polynesian Islands, nuts were seen by Columbus on his 

 fourth voyage, in Central America (Churchill Collections)." — Pickering, Charles, 

 Chronological History of Plants, p. 428. 



b For their provision they had such roots and grain as they in Hispaniola eat, and a 

 sort of liquor made of Maiz, like the English beer; and abundance of Cacao nuts, which 

 in Nevj Spain pass for money, which they seemed to value very much; for when they 

 were brought aboard among their other goods, I observ'd that when any of these nuts 

 fell, they all stoop' d to take it up, as if it had been a thing of great consequence: yet 

 at that time they seem'd to be in a manner besides themselves, being brought prisoners 

 out of their canoe aboard the ship, among such strange and fierce people, as we are to 

 them, but so prevalent is avarice in man, that we ought not to wonder that it would 

 prevail upon the Indians above the apprehension of the danger they were in. — Church- 

 ill's Collection of Voyages and Travels, vol. 2, p. 606. (London, 1732.) 



