138 TRAVELS IK THE EAST IKDIAN AKCHIPBLAGO. 



a grove of palm-trees into a thick forest, and tlien 

 zigzagged up a steep lull-side, until it reached a 

 small plateau. Here were the young cocoa-treeSj 

 filled with their long, red, cucumber-like fruit. The 

 original forest had been felled and burned, and these 

 trees had been planted in its place. Almost the only 

 difficulty in cultivating the cocoartree here is in re- 

 moving the grass and small shrubs which are con- 

 tinually springing up ; yet the natives are all so idle 

 and untrustworthy that a gentleman must frequent- 

 ly inspect his garden himself, if he expects it to yield 

 a tair retura. This tree,* the TJisohroma cdcao^ Lin., 

 is not a native of the East. It w^as discovered by 

 the Spaniards in Mexico during the conquest of that 

 countiy by Cortez. From Mexico they took it to 

 their provinces in South America and the West In- 

 dia Islands. At present it is cultivated in Tiinidad, 

 and in Guiana and Brazil. It probably thieves as 

 well here as in Mexico, and is now completely sup- 

 planting the less profitable clove-tree. 



The chief article of food of the natives working 

 iu this garden is our own yellow Indian corn, an- 

 other exotic, also introduced into the East by Euro- 

 peans. It is now raised in every part of the ai'chi- 

 pelago iQ such quantities as to form one of the chief 

 articles of food for the natives. The Dutch never 

 use it, and generally think it strange that it should 



* Tho Dutch natue for th\si tree and ita fruit is cacjvo. Our word 

 oliocokte comes from the Spunisli "chocolate," which was a mixtare 

 of the frtiit of this tree with Indian cortj. These were ground up 

 together, and some honey was n»iuilly added. After sugar-c4ine was 

 introduced, that was also added to neatralize the bitter qnalities of the 

 cocoa. 



