Ch. VIII. SOUTH AMERICA. 175 



piftil contains the embryo of the pod, which grows to 

 the length of fix or feven inches, and four or five in 

 breadth, refembling a encumber in lhape ; and ftriated 

 in a longitudinal dire6lion, but deeper than the cu- 

 cumber. The pods are not precifely of the above 

 dimenfions, nor are they always proportionate to the 

 ftem or branch, to which they adhere in the form of 

 excrefcences, fome being much fmaller , and it is not 

 extraordinary to fee one of the leaft fize on the prin- 

 cipal trunk, and one prodigioufly large near the 

 extremity of a flender branch. But it is obferved, 

 that, when two grow in contact, one of them attra6ls 

 all the nutritive juice, and thrives on the decay of the 

 other. 



The colour of the pod, while growing, is green, 

 nearly refembling that of the leaf ; but, when arrived 

 at its full perfection, it gradually changes to a yellow. 

 The fhell which covers it is thin, fmooth, and clear. 

 When the fruit is arrived at its full growth, it is ga- 

 thered ; and being cut into flices, its pulp appears 

 white and juicy, with fmall feeds regularly arranged, 

 and at that time of no greater confidence than the reft 

 of the pulp, but whiter, and contained by a very fine 

 delicate membrane, full of liquor, refembling milk, 

 but tranfparent, and fomething vifcid at this time it 

 may be eaten like any other fruit. Its tafte is a 

 fweetidi acid ; but in this country is thought to be 

 promotive of fevers. The yellownefs of the pod in- 

 dicates that the cacao begins to feed on its fubftance, 

 to acquire a greater confiftence, and that the feeds 

 begin to fill ; the colour gradually fading till they are 

 fully completed, when the dark brown colour of the 

 fhell, into which the yellov/ has deviated, indicate 

 that it is a proper time to gather it. The thicknefs 

 of the fhell is now about two lines, and each feed 

 found inclofed in one of the compartments, formed 

 by the tranfverfe membranes of the pod. After ga- 

 thering the fruit, it is opened, and the feeds taken 



out 



