Cocoa And Chocolate
The Tree, The Bean The Beverage

28 THE COCOA AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY stream of his career, poring over the old books and manuscripts in the British Museum. The three principal English cocoa and chocolate firms, Messrs. Cadbury, Fry, and Rowntree, have all been founded by men of character, all Quäkers as it curiously happens, possessing a broad interest in humanity. Possibly the late Richard Cadbury found relief from the turmoil of business and the roar of the grinding of mills in the tranquil seeking after knowledge and the lisping of turned leaves. He may be taken as a practical illustration of one who followed the Shakespearian precept : No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en ; In brief, sir, study what you most affect. The Spread of Cultivation. It would not be fitting to close this chapter without some reference to the growth of cacao cultivation. In the 50 years that followed the discovery of America, the cacao tree was found to be growing in many places in the tropical parts of that continent, for example, in Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico. It does not, however, appear to have been introduced into Bahia until 1780. The Spanish were the first to begin planting cacao in other countries. They are reported to have planted it in the West Indies, in Trinidad, as early as 1525, and to have introduced it into the East Indies in Celebes in 1560. It was no inconsiderable achievement to carry the live cacao seeds half-way round the world, a journey which in those days would take several months. It has not thrived there, but Java, only recently of importance as a cacao-growing country, owes its first cacao plantations to this enterprise. In 1634 the Dutch took possession of the island of Curacjao (where the famous liqueur oranges grow) and made this a port for the passage of the produce of