pains in planting and expecting it. Those slaves gave a
superstitious reason for its not thriving, many religious
rites being performed at its planting by the Spaniards, which
their slaves were not permitted to see. But it is probable
that, where a nation as they removed the art of making
cochineal and curing vanilloes into their inland provinces,
which were the commodities of those islands in the Indians'
time, and forbade the opening of any mines in them for fear
some maritime nation might be invited to the conquering of
them, so they might, likewise, in their transplanting cocoa
from the Caracas and Guatemala, conceal wilfully some secret in
its planting from their slaves, lest it might teach them to set
up for themselves by being able to produce a commodity of such
excellent use for the support of man's life, with which alone
and water some persons have been necessitated to live ten weeks
together, without finding the least diminution of health or
strength."

[Illustration--Black and White Plate: Grenada, B.W.I.: Samaritan Estate
(Showing trays which slide on rails; the iron covers slide over the
whole in case of wet.)]

However valuable this last quality rendered the newly-discovered
drink, its method of preparation and the unwonted spices employed
prevented its ready adoption abroad, although the Spaniards and
Portuguese took to it more kindly than some of the northern races.
Joseph Acosta, writing of Mexico and Peru, says:

"The cocoa is a fruite little less than almonds, yet more
fatte, the which being roasted hath no ill taste. It is so much