coffee. 
79 
neighbourhood of, the tropics. We have already 
noticed that it has been successfully introduced 
into the West Indies, as well as into other islands; 
though at the same time it must be acknowledged, 
that the best coffee is produced in Arabia. We 
learn from the Abbe Raynal, that 12 , 550,000 pounds 
weight are annually exported from Arabia ; of 
which about 3 , 500,000 pounds are bought by the 
different European companies. It is principally in 
the kingdom of Yemen, towards the districts of 
Aden and of Mocha, that the coffee-plant is cul- 
tivated on a large scale. A certain quantity of 
water seems highly necessary for the welfare of 
this tree ; and the Arabs, probably to confine the 
moisture from evaporating, are in the habit of 
throwing stones into the trenches which are dug for 
the plants : the principal care required to ensure 
the success of a coffee plantation appears to consist 
in conducting a sufficient quantity of water to the 
foot of the tree : the fruit is gathered at three dif- 
ferent times, but the chief gathering is in May. At 
this season of the year the Arabs spread pieces of 
cloth under the coffee-trees, in order to catch the 
fruit, which readily falls to the ground when the 
trees are shaken. After the crop has been thus col- 
lected it is placed on mats to dry, and the capsules 
forced open by passing over them a very heavy 
stone, or cylinder of wood. When the seeds have 
been thus divested of their covering, and separated 
into the little convex beans, they are stirred about 
