10 
A JiuTANlBT'S iUMJiLE IN UENTUAL AMKlUCA J 
fertile fields adapted for the production of food for the human 
race. Enormous trees, from 50 to over 100 feet high, were com- 
monly met with. Wishing to procure seed of one of these large 
trees, "l expended several cartridges from a good fowling piece, 
in the endeavour to bring down a few seed pods, but fruitlessly, 
for the lower branches must have been at least 90 feet from the 
ground. 
Plantains and bananas produce large bunches, which meet a 
ready sale on the spot, at the hands of Captains of trading 
schooners, running to and fro to the Isthmus of Panama. Sarse,” 
the roots of a species of Smilax known to commerce as ‘’Sarsapa- 
rilla,” also meets a ready sale, large quantities being grown at 
various places in the Lagoon, and not a little is produced and 
brought down by the Indians from the mainland. 
The varieties of Cacao (Theoeroma Cacao.) were numerous 
and may briefly be described as follows -1st, green-skinned ; 2nd, 
red-skinned; 3rd, yellow-skinned; 4th, white-skinned; and 5th, one 
we did not see, but described to us as a long tuberculated one, of 
very superior quality. The most commonly cultivated were the 
white and red-skinned varieties, but the green-skinned is a very 
heavy cropper and produces beans of excellent quality^ — pods of 
all these were collected and brought part of the way on our 
homeward journey, but a delay of some days in Colon resulted 
in tlieir entire loss which was much to be regretted, as they 
would doubtless have proved fine additions to the varieties 
already under cultivation here. The beans prcduced are large 
in size, and of excellent quality which is proved by their 
selling on the spot to American traders at the rate of 25cts. 
per lb. (local currency.) The mode of preparation is simple in 
the extreme, and easily managed. The beans are first placed in 
a small covered vessel in the full sun, for two or three days to 
ferment, and are then washed and dried without the application 
of the “ claying process” in any form. 
Chocolate of good quality is manufactured locally. The 
beans are first roasted, then deprived of their skins and after- 
wards ground on a small flat porous stone, the crushing instru- 
ment, also of stone, being of a shape similar to a house-wife’s 
rolling-pin. We had frequent opportunities for testing this pre- 
paration and often declared, that if travellers of the olden time 
tasted as good a mixture as it wns our fortune to drink, it was 
no wonder that they described it as being “ Food for the gods” 
which appellation, derived from Tiieos ‘ god’ and Broma food; 
was the origin of the scientific generic name TjiEojmoMA. 
