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than sixteen millions. The wild cacao-tree has 

 many branches, and is covered with a tufted 

 and dark foliage. It bears a very small fruit, 

 like that variety which the ancient Mexicans 

 called tlalcacahuatl. Transplanted into the 

 conucos of the Indians of Cassiquiare and the 

 Rio Negro, the wild tree preserves for several 

 generations that force of vegetable life, which 

 makes it bear fruit in the fourth year ; while in 

 the province of Caraccas, the harvest begins only 

 the sixth, seventh, or eighth year. They are 

 later in the inland parts, than on the coasts and 

 in the valley of Guapo. We met with no tribe 

 on the Oroonoko, that prepared a beverage 

 with the seeds of the cacao-tree. The savages 

 suck the pulp of the pod, and throw away the 

 seeds, which are often found in heaps where 

 they have passed the night. Though the chorote, 

 which is a very weak infusion of cacao, is con- 

 sidered on the coast to be a very ancient beve- 

 rage, no historical fact proves, that chocolate, 

 or any preparation whatever of cacao, was 

 known to the natives of Venezuela before the 

 arrival of the Spaniards. It appears to me 

 more probable, that the cacao -plantations of 

 Caraccas were made in imitation of those of 

 Mexico and Guatimala; and that the Spaniards, 

 inhabiting Terra Firma, learned the cultivation 

 of the cacao-tree, sheltered in it's youth by the 



