190 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



were, the limits of the warmest and moistest parts of 

 the country, where it grows luxuriantly. Most of 

 the sugar plantations and manufactories (^engenhos) 

 are situated in the vicinity of the capital itself, and 

 about Cabo Frio. It is well known that the cultiva- 

 tion of the sugar-cane was introduced into Rio de 

 Janeiro, by the governor Mem de Sa, immediately 

 after the expulsion of the French, in the year 1568, 

 The sugar exported from the harbour of Rio de 

 Janeiro, in 18 17, amounted to 17,000 chests, or 

 about 680,000 arrobas. It is only within these few 

 years that coffee has been extensively cultivated in 

 the capitania of Rio, and it has been observed that 

 it will be equal in quality to that of Martinique and 

 Saint Domingo, as soon as the necessary care is 

 taken in gathering it. The coffee of Rio was 

 formerly not liked in Europe, as they generally 

 plucked the unripe berries, and in order to separate 

 the seed from the external husk, they were suffered 

 to corrupt, which injured the taste, and gave the 

 berry a white colour and unsound appearance. 

 Within these few years the cultivation of the coffee 

 tree, and the gathering of the crop have been im- 

 proved; particularly since Dr. Lesesne, an ex- 

 perienced planter from Saint Domingo, who was 

 driven from that country during the troubles, 

 formed a great plantation in the neighbourhood of 

 Rio, and instructed the cultivator^ in the most ad- 

 vantageous manner of treating that plant. This 

 example, and the increased demand, have caused 



