£J4 
HISTORY OF THE [book v. 
vinces of New Spain ; where besides affording to the 
natives an article of nourishment, it served the pur¬ 
pose of money; and was used by them as a medium 
in barter; one hundred and fifty of the nuts being 
considered of much the same value as a royal by 
the Spaniards. From this circumstance it seems 
probable, that if the ancient inhabitants of South 
America were emigrants from Europe or Asia, 
they must have detached themselves at an early 
period, before metals were converted into coins, or 
from some society which had made but moderate 
advances in civilization. 
Among the Spaniards, with whom the cacao 
still forms a considerable article of commerce, its 
cultivation is conducted in the following manner. 
Having chosen a spot of level land, (a deep black 
mould is preferred), sheltered round with a thick 
wood, so as to be well screened from the wind, 
especially the north, and caused it to be cleared 
from all manner of stumps and weeds, the planter 
digs a number of holes at eighteen or twenty feet 
distance, each hole being about a foot in length and 
width, and six or eight inches deep. In the mean 
time, having selected the largest and fairest pods 
of the cacao when full ripe, he takes out the 
grains and puts them into a vessel of water. Such 
of them as swim are rejected; the others, being 
washed clean from the pulp and skinned, are suffer¬ 
ed to remain in the water till they begin to sprout, 
at which time they are fit for planting. The owner 
then takes the banana, or some other large leaves, 
