

NATURAL HISTORY. 209 
tea fhrub flourifhes equally in rich and poor ground. 
The leaves are dried and parched by fire; in which 
fiate they are fent to Europe, and other parts of the 
world. The beft teais that which is the greeneft, 
beft fcented, and moft free from duft. The caufe of 
tea being fo much drunk in Europe, is faid to be 
from the Chinefe bartering it for their fage, which 
they efteem as pofleffing the moft invaluable qualities. 
| This is not improbable, from our phyficians having a 
_ Latin proverb, refpecting fage of virtue ; which afks, 
| Why will a man die with fagein his garden? Al- 
_ though tea is drunk more for pleafure than for any 
medicinal purpofe, it is juftly allowed to poffefs many 
falutary qualities. . 
— $ccMENEMCHO4H— 
COCOA TREE, 
a] 
‘T HIS tree, bearing the cocoa, or chocolate nut, 
refembles our heart cherry tree ; except that, when 
full grown, it is much higher and broader. It has a- 
bundance of leaves, fimilar to thofe of the orange 
tree. It flourifhes throughout the year, efpecially 
near the fummer and winter folftices. As the leaves 
perpetually replenith themfelves, this tree is never 
difrobed ofits verdure. The bloffoms are {mall, reg- 
ular, and like a rofe, but fcentlefs. Every bloffom 
is joined to the tree by a flender ffalk ; and leaves, in 
falling, long green filiaments ; which produce a point- : 
ed, yellow fruit, of the fize of our melons: Thefe 
adhere to the thick branches, without any interme- 
diate ftem ; as if nature thus providentially provided 
it a {upport {trong enough to bear the greatnefs of its 
weight, when grown ripe, and to its largeft fize. Each 
fruit contains from between 15 and 25 {mall nuts, or | 
almonds, covered with a thin yellow fkin; which be- 
ing feparated, a tender fubitance appears, divided 
" 
