Cocoa. 171 
nor does it seem likely to depreciate in public favour, not- 
withstanding the introduction of other substances, and the 
strong recommendation which the Faham of Réunion has 
lately received at the hands of an enterprising Paris house. 
If China should fail to supply the European demand for tea, 
and Réunion with its Angrecum fragrans should step in as 
an only rival, then time and necessity might work a change 
in the public taste, and gossip and scandal might be talked 
over a cup of faham in place of that of bohea. 
Of the two beverages which are so intimately associated 
—tea and coffee—the former is the most popular, as the 
Government reports of the home consumption of the two 
articles show; but, in answer, likewise, to this difference of 
~ figures it must be borne in mind that coffee has, to a cer- 
tain degree, a rival article in the market. We mean cocoa 
to which the public taste is becoming more and more 
adapted. The improvements which have been made in 
the preparation of this commodity have been the means of 
gaining for it a larger share of patronage, and we see no 
reason why cocoa should not become with us as favourite 
a beverage as it is with some other European nations. As 
an article of food it is extremely valuable, containing as it 
does a large quantity of nutritive matter, but without the 
stimulating effects of tea or coffee. 
If cocoa had no other recommendation, its botanical 
name alone should suffice to make it popular; Linnzeus, ° 
by whom the name Theobroma was given, must himself 
have highly approved of the qualities of the seed by signi- 
fying it “as food for a god,” which is the meaning of the two 
Greek words of which Zzeobroma is composed, namely, 
theos,a god, and bvoma, food. It was in use in very early 
times in Mexico, and was introduced from thence into 
Europe by the Spaniards about the year 1520. Benzoni, 
who travelled in that century, speaks of chocolate as a 
drink “fitter for a pig than for a man.” Humboldt says it 
was extensively cultivated in the time of Montezuma, and 
in the time of the Aztecs the seeds were commonly used . 
as money. 
The words cocoa and chocolate are both derived from 
the Mexican language, Cacava quahiutl being applied to 
the plant, and chocolate to the preparation. 
The cocoa tree at the present time is extensively cul- 
tivated in the West Indies and over the greater part of 
tropical America. Our supplies come chiefly from 
Trinidad and Grenada. It is a tree seldom rising more 
