CHAPTER XX. 



CACAO. 



On writing a chapter on the product which is 

 familiarly called Cocoa, it may interest some of my 

 readers to give as an introduction a few passages 

 copied from that very interesting work 1 c The History 

 of the West Indies " by Bryan Edwards, written in 

 1794, before Trinidad became a British possession. 

 It is as follows : — 



" The Cacao or chocolate nut, a production 

 equally delicate, wholesome and nutritious, is a 

 native of South America, and is said to have been 

 originally conveyed to Hispaniola from some of the 

 provinces of New Spain ; where besides affording to 

 the natives an article of nourishment, it served the 

 purpose of money ; and was used by them as a me- 

 dium of barter ; one hundred and fifty of the nuts 

 being considered of much the same value as a ryal by 

 the Spaniards. From this circumstance it seems pro- 

 bable, that if the ancient inhabitants of South 

 America were emigrants from Europe or Asia, they 

 must have detatched themselves at an early period, 

 before metals were converted into coin, or from some 

 society which had made but moderate advance in 

 civilization. 99 



