244 



t\ie Abbe Hervas fixes it at nine millions. Every 

 person, who has long inhabited Spain, Italy, and 

 France, must have observed, that the use of 

 chocolate is frequent only in the first- of these 

 countries among the poorer class of people ; and 

 therefore will scarcely believe, that Spain con- 

 sumes but a third of the cacao imported into 

 Europe. 



The late wars have had much more fatal 

 effects on the cacao trade of Caraccas, than on 

 that of Guayaquil. On account of the increase 

 of price, less cacao of the first quality has been 

 consumed in Europe. Instead of mixing, as 

 was done formerly for common chocolate, one 

 quarter of the cacao of Caraccas, with three 

 quarters of t hat of Guayaquil, the latter has been 

 employed pure in Spain. We must here remark, 

 that a great deal of cacao of an inferior quality, 

 such as that of Maranon, the Rio Negro, Hon- 

 duras, and the island of St. Lucia, bears the 

 name, in commerce, of Guayaquil cacao. The- 

 exportation from that port amounts only to 

 60,000 fanegas ; consequently it is two thirds 

 less than that of the ports of the Capitania 

 General of Caraccas. 



Though the plantations of cacao have aug- 

 mented in the provinces of Cum ana, Barcelona, 

 and Maracaybo, in proportion as they have di- 

 minished in the province of Caraccas, it is still 

 believed, that in general this ancient branch of 



