62 COFFEE. 



more than half fall. AYhen the coffee is sufficiently ponnded, the 

 basket is lifted from between the poles and the beans are thrown 

 into sieves, on which it is cleaned from skin, and white, black, or 

 broken beans. According to the AYest Indian system, the coffee 

 mnst now be instantly pnt in bags, to preserve its greenish co- 

 lour, which is very peculiar. If the green coffee is not instantly 

 sent to the packing stores to be bagged, it must be put up in a 

 very dry place, and be turned over once every day, to prevent 

 heating, which damps and discolors the berry. 



Coffee is grown to some extent in Celebes — the average crop 

 being from 10,000 to 12,000 piculs of 133 English pounds. The 

 production has rather fallen off than increased during the last 

 few years. The whole of the coffee grown must be delivered by 

 the inhabitants to the government exclusively, at twelve copper 

 ilorins per picul. It is much prized in the K'etherlands, and main- 

 tains a higher price in the market than the best Java coffee. As 

 the treatment of the product in Java differs wholly from that 

 which is in vogue in Celebes, and this, in our eyes, is much inferior, I 

 know not whether the higher price is ascribable to the name, or 

 to an intrinsic superiority in quality. It is certain that this cul- 

 tivation is susceptible of much improvement, and might be ad- 

 vanced to a much higher condition. 



From tables given by 31. Spreeuwenberg (" Journal of tl:e 

 Indian Archipelago," vol. ii. p. 829) of the quantity of coffee deli- 

 vered from each district of this island, for the years 1838 to 

 1842, it appears that the average annual deliver v of coffee was 

 1,288,118 lbs. 



Of the production of Sumatra I have no details, but a very 

 fair proportion is grown there — about five million pounds. 



Production of America and the West Indies. — The cultivation of 

 the coffee plant is largely carried on in South and Central Ame- 

 rica and the West India Islands. 



Its culture has greatly increased within the last few years in 

 Venezuela, particularly in the valleys and on the sides of the hills. 

 The exports from La G-uayra. in 1833, were about twelve millions 

 of pounds, being nearly double the quantity exported in 1830. 

 The price there is about ten dollars the 100 lbs., which is still 

 too high to enable it to enter into competition with the produce 

 of Brazil or Cuba. 



The total produce of coffee in Venezuela in 1839 was 251,567 

 quintals. The quintal is about 10 lbs. less than the English cwt. 



La Guayra. — The exports of coffee from this port in 1796, 

 were 283 quintals. 



Quintals. Quintajs. 

 In 1843 .... 164,066 1846 .... 17-5,346 



1844 .... 141,934 1847 .... 130,671 



1845 ..... 134,585 1850 .... 179,537 



The exports of coffee from La Gruayra have been declining 

 within the past few years ; the shipments were but 153.001 quin- 

 tals in 1851, and only 121,623 in 1852, 



