The Natural History of Chocolate Part 7

REMARK III.

The _Calebash_-Tree is nigh as large as the Apple-Tree; it supplies the Natives and Negroes with Buckets, Pots, Bottles, Dishes, Plates, and several other Houshold Utensils. One cannot describe the Shape nor Bigness of _Calebashes_, since there are some of the Size of a Pear, and others as large as the greatest Citrons; and besides, there are long, round, oval, and of all Fashions. The Fruit, which is green and smooth upon the Tree, becomes grey as it dries; within, it is full of a white Pulp, of no use at all, which they take out through a Hole; the Sh.e.l.ls they put to several Services. The Bark is about one Fifth of an Inch thick, but very hard, and difficult to break.

REMARK IV.

The _Papaw_-Tree is pretty uncommon as to its Make; its Trunk is strait, but hollow, and of so tender a Wood, that it is easily cut down with a Hedging-Bill; it is about four Yards high, without any Branches; its Leaves much like those of our Fig-Trees, but twice as big, and are joined to the top by Stalks of a Foot and a half long, and hollow like a Reed. They being about thirty in number, grow at the top of the Trunk all round about it; the lowest are ripest and largest, they are green, and of the bigness of one's Fist. The Pulp, which is but half an Inch thick, is like that of a Melon, but of a sweet faintish Taste; but it makes a pretty good Confection, of a fine green Colour.

There is another kind of _Papaw_-Tree, whose Fruit is as large as a Melon, and better tasted than the former.

REMARK V.

The _Banane_ is a sort of Plant, whose Root is a great round Bulb, from whence proceeds a Trunk, green and smooth, six Feet high, as thick as one's Thigh, and without any Leaf. On the top of it grow about twenty Leaves, about a Foot and a half broad, and about five Feet long; but so tender, that the Wind tears them from the Middle to the Sides, into Slangs like Ribbons: From the Center of these Leaves grows a second Trunk, more firm than the rest of the Plant: upon this grows a Cl.u.s.ter of about forty or fifty _Bananes_, sometimes more, sometimes less. A _Banane_ is a Fruit as thick as one's Arm, about a Foot long, and a little crooked. They gather this Cl.u.s.ter green, and hang it up in the Ceiling; and as the _Bananes_ grow yellow, or mellow, they gather them.

When this Cl.u.s.ter is taken away, the Plant withers, or they cut it down at the Root; but for one Trunk lost, the Root sends forth five or six more.

Besides these _Bananes_, there is a Fruit call'd _Banane-Figs_; but the Plants that produce them are very little different: The Figs are much less than the _Bananes_, being but four or five Inches long. The Fig is more delicious, but the _Banane_ is thought to be more wholesome, and the Pulp more solid. They roast them upon a Grid-Iron, or bake them in an Oven, they eat them with Sugar and the Juice of an Orange. The _Banane_ done in a Stew-Pan in its own Juice, with Sugar and a little Cinnamon, is excellent.

REMARK VI.

_Manioc_ is a Shrub very crooked, and full of Knots, its Wood is tender and brittle, and the Branches are easily broke off into Slips: There are several and different Colours, some more forward and fruitful than others. Commonly they are pluck'd up in a Year or thereabouts; and there is found at every one, several plump Roots, without any sensible Fibres, more or less thick, according to the Kind and the Goodness of the Soil.

These Roots are wash'd in a good deal of Water, to free them from the Earth; and after they are sc.r.a.ped with a Knife like wild Turnips, they _grate_ them; that is to say, they rub them hard with great Copper Graters, which the _French_ call _Grages_, just as they do Quinces to get out the Juice. This grated _Manioc_ is put in the Press in Sacks made of coa.r.s.e Hemp, or Rushes, to get out the superfluous Moisture, which is not only unwholesome, but poisonous. This, thus press'd, they take from the Sacks, and pa.s.s it through a coa.r.s.e Sieve called _Hibichet_; they afterwards bake it two several ways, to make what they call _Ca.s.save_, or Meal of _Manioc_.

In the first place, when they would make the _Ca.s.save_, they spread the sifted _Manioc_ upon a Plate of Iron over a clear Fire, which they tapping down with the Ball of their Hands, make a broad Cake about half an Inch thick, and two Feet in diameter; and when it is baked on one side, they turn it on the other: and if they would keep it any time, they dry it in the Sun.

In the second place, when they would make what they call the Meal, they put the _Manioc_, grated, pressed, and sifted, as before, upon a great Copper Plate four Feet in diameter, with a Brim five or six Inches high, and placed upon a Brick Furnace: They stir it continually with a wooden _Spatula_, that it may not stick and be baked all alike. This Meal resembles Bread grosly crumbled, and may be kept a long while in a dry Place. The Natives do not trouble themselves to make the Meal; they only eat _Ca.s.save_, which they bake every day, because, when it is hot, it is more agreeable and palatable.

If they leave the expressed Juice of _Manioc_ to settle, it lets fall a _Faecula_ to the bottom, called _Moussache_, which they afterwards dry in the Sun: it is as white as Snow, of which they make very good Cakes, called in those Parts, _Craquelins_.

The Laundresses use this _Faecula_ instead of Starch, to starch their Linnen. Some Inhabitants mix one Third of this with two Thirds of _French_ Meal, and make Bread that is very white, and well tasted.

REMARK VII.

At first sight, one would take a _Balize_-Tree for a _Banane_, they are so like each other: there is, however, this difference between them, That the Leaves of the _Balize_-Tree are not so tender, and apt to be tore; for this reason, they serve the Natives for Table-Cloths and Napkins, as well as the Negroes, and some of the Planters that live in the Woods. Sometimes they serve as Umbrella's to shade them from the Sun, or Showers of Rain, that surprize them.

The Hunters have great a.s.sistance from this Plant; for sometimes finding themselves pressed with Thirst, in Places at some distance from Rivers or Fountains, they give the Trunk of a _Balize_ a Slash with a Knife, and immediately hold their Hat, or a Cup, which catches a clear, good, and cool Water, even in the greatest Heat.

REMARK VIII.

_Pimento_, called also _Jamaica-Pepper_, has been brought into _France_, where it grows, as in _America_, in pyramidal Cods of three or four Inches long: they are at first green, then yellow, afterwards red, and last of all, black. They pickle them in Vinegar, as they do Capers and little Cuc.u.mbers. There are in _America_ several other Kinds of _Pimentoes_, and especially one that is round, and as red as a Cherry.

This is the hottest of all, it sets the Mouth all on fire; for which reason it is called the mad _Pimento_. The Natives eat nothing without _Pimento_, it is their universal Seasoning, it serves them instead of Salt, and all Oriental Spices.

REMARK IX.

_Achote_ is best known in _France_, under the Name of _Roucou_, and is a sort of Red which the Dyers and Painters make use of. It is the favourite Colour of the Savages, which they are very careful of planting in their Gardens, that they may paint their Bodies every Morning, which they call _Roucouing_.

_Roucou_ is planted of a Kernel much after the same manner as the _Cocao-Tree_. The Shrub that is most like it in _Europe_, is the _Lilach_, or the _Arabian_ Bean. Its Leaves, of the Shape of a Heart, are longish, pointed, and placed alternately; its Blossoms grow in Bunches at the end of the Boughs, they are white, mix'd with Carnation, like the Flowers of the wild Rose-Tree. In the middle, there is a Tuft of yellow _Stamina_ with red Points; when these Blossoms fall off, there appears tawny Buds, beset with fine p.r.i.c.kles: These Buds grow to be Sh.e.l.ls, which, when ripe, open on the upper side, and discover within, two Rows of Pippins, almost like little Peas, cover'd with Vermilion, which sticks to the Fingers, when touch'd, and leaves the Pippins quite, when wash'd with warm Water. The Water being settled, they pour it off gently by degrees, they dry the Colour in the Shade that fell to the bottom of the Vessel; and this is the true _Roucou_, without any Mixture. The Physicians in these Parts prescribe it to cut and attenuate thick and tough Humours, which cause difficulty of Breathing, Retension of Urine, and all sorts of Obstructions[89].

REMARK X.

_Atolla_ is a kind of Gruel which they make with Meal of _Maise_, (which is the same as our _Indian_ Corn, or _Turkey_ Millet.) The _Mexicans_ season it with _Pimento_; but the Nuns and _Spanish_ Ladies, instead of _Pimento_, use Sugar, Cinnamon, perfumed Waters of Amber, Musk, _&c._ In these Parts, they make the same Use of _Atolla_, as of the best Rice in the _Levant_.

REMARK XI.

One ought to chuse the smallest Cinnamon, the highest coloured, and of the most biting Taste, as well as sweet and spicy, because a great Part is full of Pieces, from whence they have drawn the Essence, and has neither any Colour nor Taste, but that of the Wood. To help and amend both, there needs only a Clove to be ground in the Mortar, with an Ounce of Cinnamon. This Spice is best that comes from the _East-Indies_, it has nothing of Acrid in it, and contains an oleous Volatile, which agrees very well with that of Chocolate. Cinnamon also has always kept its Place in all the Compositions of Chocolate.

FOOTNOTES:

[a] _New Voyage round the World_, Tom. 1. Chap. 10.

[89] Thomas Gage, _Tom. 1. Part 2. Pag. 142_.

MEDICINES In whose Composition OIL or b.u.t.tER OF _CHOCOLATE_ Is made use of.

_The Wonderful Plaister for the Curing of all sorts of Ulcers._

Take _Oil-Olive_ a Pound, _Venetian Ceruss_, in Powder, half a Pound.

Put them in a Copper Pan, or a glazed Earthen one, upon a clear moderate Fire, stirring them continually with a wooden _Spatula_ till the Mixture is become black, and almost of the Consistence of a Plaister, (which you may know by letting fall two or three Drops upon a Pewter Plate; for if they grow cold immediately, and do not stick to the Fingers, when touch'd, it is done enough.) Then must be added,

Of _Bees-Wax cut in little Bits_, an Ounce and a half.

_Oil or b.u.t.ter of Chocolate_, an Ounce.

_Balsam Capivi_, an Ounce and a half.

When they are all melted and mixed together, the Pan must be taken off the Fire; and stirring constantly with the _Spatula_, you must add the following Ingredients, reduced into a fine Powder separately, and then well mixed together.

_Lapis Calaminaris_, heated in the Fire, and then quenched in Lime-Water, and ground upon a Porphyry, one Ounce.

_Myrrh in Drops_, } _Aloes Succotrine_, } of each two _Round Birthwort_, } Drams.

_Florentine Orris_, }

_Camphire_, a Dram.

When they are all well incorporated together, they must cool a little, and then be poured upon a Marble to be made into Rolls, after the ordinary Manner.