310 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



morass but well cultivated fields of flourishing cocoa, 

 large and comfortable dwellings with all the neces- 

 sary outbuildings for carrying on the cultivation 

 and curing of what is appropriately called cc the 

 golden bean.* 99 



Some years after this I again accompanied Mr. 

 Riddell to his estate, then beginning to bear. It 

 was at the time of the August crop. He had a small 

 picking, but no sun to cure it, so it naturally began 

 to spoil. " I wish we had some weeks of sun," he 

 said, " if not it will be a bad look out for the cocoa 

 planters." " It's a good job Mr. White doesn't 

 hear you," I smilingly retorted, " he wants rain for 

 the young cane plants. You see your interests are 

 beginning to conflict, you want sun — he wants rain," 

 (Mr. White and Mr. Riddell represented the same in- 

 terest in the sugar line). " Oh, but man," he said, 

 " Mr. White wants sun up at Ortinola too." " Did 

 you ever read Max O'Rell's Friend Macdonald 1 99 I 

 asked. " There is a story there that will tell you 

 how to get whatever sort of weather you want." 

 " No man, I don't read such trash," was his reply. 

 " How do you know it's trash df you didn't read 

 it V 9 " Why," he replied, " everything an Irish- 

 man writes must be trash." " But Max O'Rell is 

 not Irish ; he is a Frenchman," I replied. " It's all 

 the same," was the retort ; neither has got any un- 

 derstanding, they're both blather-skits." " Doli't 

 be hasty until I tell you what Max 'Rell says about 



* An estate planted even later than Mr. Riddell 'a was sold within 

 the last three months for the substantial sum of £23,000. 



