428 



SPICES A-TSJ) PRAGEANT WOODS. 



Imports. Home coasumption 

 lbs. lbs. 



1845 9,852,984 3,209,718 



1846 5,906,586 3,299,955 



1847 4,669,930 2,966,022 



1848 8,125,545 3,185,337 



1849 4,796,042 3,257,911 



1850 8,028,319 3,170,883 



1851 3,996,496 3,303,403 



1852 6,641,699 , 3,524,501 



The following return shows the number of bags of pepper im- 

 ported into the United Kingdom, with the quantity retained for 

 home consumption : — 



Eetained for home consumption. 



1843 

 1844 

 1845 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 



Imports. 

 Black, 

 bags. 

 37,840 

 60,705 

 80,600 

 37,194 

 65,518 

 43,65] 



White, 

 bags. 

 3,861 

 2,123 

 3,208 

 1,236 

 3,042 

 2,616 



Black, 

 bags. 

 21,163 

 23,525 

 30,294 

 28,768 

 31,665 

 32,246 



mite, 

 bags. 

 2,257 

 2,122 

 2,861 

 2,654 

 2,950 

 3,859 



CHILLIES AND CAYENNE PEPPEE. 



Chillies or capsicum are long roundish taper pods, divided into 

 two or three cells, full of small whitish seeds. When this fruit is 

 fresh, it has a penetrating acrid smell ; to the taste it is extremely 

 pungent, and produces a most painful burning in the mouth. 

 They are occasiouallj imported dry, and form the basis of Cayenne 

 pepper ; put in vinegar when green or ripe, they are an accept- 

 able present in Europe. In Bengal the natives make an extract 

 from the chillies, which is about the consistence and color of 

 treacle. 



The consumption of chillies in India is immense, as both rich 

 and poor daily use them, and it is the principal ingredient in all 

 chutnies and curries ; ground into a paste, between two stones, 

 with a little mustard, oil, ginger, and salt, it forms the only 

 seasoning which the millions of poor in that country can obtain 

 to eat with their insipid rice. They are worth in the Bombay 

 market about 4iOs. the candy of 600 lbs. 



Immense quantities of the capsicum are used by the native 

 population of the "\Yest Indies, Africa, and Mexico ; the con- 

 sumption as a condiment being almost universal, and perhaps 

 equal in quantity to salt. Ten barrels of these peppers were 

 shipped from Montego Bay, Jamaica, in the first six months of 

 1851. 



The wholesale price of chillies in the London market is from 

 15s. to 25s. the cwt., and there is a duty of 6d. per pound on 

 them. Cayenne fetches 9d. to 2s. the pound. 



Chilli is the Mexican name for all varieties of Capsicum. They 



