COCOA. 



15 



Caracas. From the neighbourliood of San Felipe, the capital of the 

 state of Yaracuy, a very superior unmixed cocoa is sent to Puerto 

 Cabello, to the amount, including a small quantity from Barquisi- 

 meto, of about 4000 to 6000 fanegas annually. The Trinidad seed 

 has, since 1854, been introduced into Chichiriviche, formerly one of 

 the finest cocoa districts on the western coast. Many cocoa planta- 

 tions were damaged, and some entirely destroyed, by the great 

 drought which prevailed in the country in the year 1868-69. 



From what has been above stated, it will be seen that it is from 

 Cape Codera down to Puerto Cabello, following the coast-line, that 

 the Caracas cocoa is principally cultivated ; and on some estates on 

 this line, where the Trinidad seed had been introduced, it has fallen 

 into great disrepute, and some of the planters even import the red 

 soil of Chroni, in order to impart a better colouring to their bean. 



I am indebted for the following observations to Mr. Alderson, an 

 English gentleman, who has recently returned from inspecting his cocoa 

 estates, situated within the seaboard tract of country denominated 

 the " Valleys of Barlovento," extending from Capaya and Caucagua to 

 Rio Chico, the population of which region is put down at 20,000, 

 all blacks with the exception of about one hundred whites, and the 

 inhabitants all Indian, and amounting to about two thousand, of 

 the village of Capaya : 



" In the almost total absence of statistical information," says Mr. 

 Alderson, it is difficult to say what these valleys produced in the 

 year 1820, which may be called the last of the War of Independence, 

 when Venezuela remained definitely severed from the mother country ; 

 but it may be safely said that, at the close of those ten years of 

 devastation and destruction, all agriculture was virtually extin- 

 guished. The progress of reconstruction, as may be supposed, would 

 be naturally slow ; and I think, without error, it may be stated that it 

 was not until 1840 that the valleys of Barlovento attained their 

 highest degree of cultivation and prosperity, continuing to yield an 

 average crop of cocoa of from 30,000 to 40,000 fanegas, or half the pro- 

 duce of the whole Republic, until the year 1854. In the spring of that 

 year agriculture generally, but the cultivation of cocoa especially, was 

 all at once checked, and for some time deranged, by the sudden and 

 unlooked for liberation of the slaves. The sugar planters recovered 

 from this blow by adopting the system of ' medianeros,' that is to say, 

 the labourer cultivated the soil in the character of partner in its yield 

 — a system that can scarcely be adopted upon cocoa estates, and they, in 

 consequence, sensibly and progressively declined till 1858, when the 

 great civil war of the Federation broke out. When that bloody and 

 unhappy struggle terminated in 1863, the havoc, destruction, and un- 

 avoidable neglect had been so excessive, that of the magnificent cocoa 

 estates in the valleys of Barlovento, which had been one of the chief 

 seats of the war, scarcely a vestige remained ; and I have no hesita- 

 tion in saying that at that period their production did not exceed 

 5000 fanegas. As a proof that I do not exaggerate the combined 

 effects of the sudden emancipation of the slaves and of the five years' 

 civil war, I will cite one or two examples of the many for which I can 

 personally vouch. Three of the finest cocoa estates in Barlovento 

 belonged to General Arizmendi, Don Antonio Palacios, and my 



