COCOA, 



17 



having been unable to proceed further in his inquiries, owing to the 

 opposition he experienced, the amount of export from the three other 

 ports in question is unattainable. 



According to Seiior Mayz, it was his father who, whilst residing in 

 Trinidad as a patriot refugee in 1820, first sent the seed of the cocoa 

 from that island to the mainland, at the request of General Arizmendi, 

 a famous Venezuelan general of the War of Independence, to plant 

 upon his estate at Caucagua ; the bean produced from this seed, as 

 before stated, is bitter to the taste, but the plant is much hardier, 

 yielding at the third or fourth year, and giving double the quantity 

 of the Venezuelan seed, or about two pounds per tree annually. 



Senor Mayz adds, that in Trinidad there were two or more estates 

 producing good cocoa from the Venezuelan seed, planted by some of 

 the Eoyalist families from the mainland, who had sought a refuge 

 in the island ; and it is thus worthy of observation that, whilst a 

 Venezuelan patriot first introduced the cocoa seed of Trinidad into 

 his country, the Venezuelan seed was introduced into the island in 

 question by persons who had remained faithful to the Royalist cause. 



Don. Juan Antonio Guardia, for some tinae Minister of Finance in 

 this Eepublic, and partner in the house of Gutierrez and Guardia, of 

 La Guayra, one of the principal houses for the consignment of cocoa 

 at that port, expressed to me his opinion that the production of 

 cocoa has remained stationary during the last twenty years; the 

 decrease which has taken place in the valleys of Barlovento, Tuy, 

 and on the coast to the west of La Guayra, where large plantations 

 have been lost, being, in Seiior Guardia's opinion, compensated by the 

 number of small estates that have sprung up of late years in Carii- 

 pano, Giiiria, and Yaguaparo. Senor Guardia also calculates the 

 yearly crop at from 70,000 to 80,000 fanegas, the exportation of 

 which he distributes as follows : 



Fanegas. 



La Guayra, from 35,000 to 40,000 



Puerto Cabello 12,000 „ 15,000 



Maracaibo 8,000 „ 9,000 



Carupano .. ' 15,000 „ 16,000 



70,000 „ 80,000 



This cocoa is produced in the following districts : 



Fanegas. 



La Guayka. — Comprising Barlovento, from Nayguata to 

 Cabo Unare, composed of the valleys of Kio Chico, 

 Tacarigua, Curiepe, and Capaya, and part of that of 



Caucagua, gives 16,000 



SoTAVENTO. — From Cabo Blanco to the valley of Turiamo, 

 where the finest kind of cocoa is generally produced, 



known in Europe as " Caracas " 5 , 000 



Cakacas. — Including the valleys of the Tuy, and part of 



Caucagua and Capaya 7,000 



Cakupano. — Partly from Carupano, Yaguaparo, Giiiria, 



andYrapa 9,000 



Puerto Cabello. — From San Felipe, Giiiglle, and Bar- 



quisimeto 3 , 000 



40,000 







