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COCOA PLANTATIONS. 



In crossing the Amazon we were swept by the current below the 

 plantation we intended to visit, and thus had a walk of a mile through 

 the cocoa plantations, with which the whole right bank of the river 

 between Obidos and Alemquer is lined. I do not know a prettier place 

 than one of these plantations. The trees interlock their branches, and, 

 with their large leaves, make a shade impenetrable to any ray of the 

 sun. The earth is perfectly level, and covered with a carpeting of dead 

 leaves; and the large golden-colored fruit, hanging from branch and 

 trunk, shine through the green with a most beautiful effect. The only 

 drawback to the pleasure of a walk through them arises from the 

 quantity of musquitoes, which in some places, and at certain times, are 

 unendurable to one not seasoned to their attacks. I could scarcely keep 

 still long enough to shoot some of the beautiful birds that were flitting 

 among the trees. 



This is the time of the harvest, and we found the people of every 

 plantation engaged, in the open space before the house, in breaking open 

 the shells of the fruit, and spreading the seed to dry in the sun on 

 boards placed for the purpose. They make a pleasant drink for a hot 

 day by pressing out the juice of the gelatinous pulp that envelops the 

 seeds ; it is called cacao wine ; is a white, rather viscid liquor ; has an 

 agreeable, acid taste, and is very refreshing ; fermented and distilled, it 

 will make a powerful spirit. 



The ashes of the burnt hull of the cacao contains a strong alkali, and 

 it is used in all the "cacoaes" for making soap. 



We were kindly received by the gentleman whom we went to visit, 

 Senhor Jose da Silva, whom we found busily engaged in gathering the 

 crop. When he discovered that we had eaten nothing since daylight, 

 he called out in true hospitable country fashion, "Wife, cook something 

 for these men ; they are hungry ;" and we accordingly got some dinner 

 of turtle and fowl. 



In addition to the gathering of his cocoa, Senhor da Silva was en- 

 gaged in expressing a clean, pretty-looking oil from the castanha. The 

 nut was first toasted in the oven ; then pulverized in a wooden mortar ; 

 and the oil was pressed out in the same sort of wicker-bag that is used 

 for straining the mandioc. He said that the oil burned well, and was 

 soft and pleasant to put on the skin or make unguents of, though it had 

 not a pleasant smell. This oil has not yet found its way into foreign 

 commerce. 



From the statements of this gentleman, I gathered the following facts 

 regarding the cocoa : 



The seed is planted in garden beds in August. When the plants 



