Page 62

An. 1682

City of Caraccos.

it would be hard to place them again in so narrow a compass. There are generally near 100 Nuts in a Cod: in proportion to the greatness of which, for it varies, the Nuts are bigger or less. When taken out they dry them in the Sun upon Mats spread on the ground: after which they need no more care, having a thin hard skin of their own, and much Oil, which preserves them. Salt water will not hurt them; for we had our Bags rotten, lying in the bottom of our Ship, and yet the Nuts never the worse. They raise the young Trees of Nuts, set with the great end downward, in fine black Mould, and in the same places where they are to bear; which they do in 4 or 5 years time, without the trouble of transplanting. There are ordinarily of these Trees, from 500 to 2000 and upwards in a Plantation or Cacoa-walk, as they call them: and they shelter the young Trees from the weather with Plaintains set about them for 2 or 4 years; destroy- ing all the Plaintains by such time the Cacoa-Trees are of a pretty good body, and able to endure the heat; which I take to be the most pernicious to them of any thing: for tho these Valleys lye open to the North winds, unless a little shelter'd here and there by some groves of Plaintain Trees, which are purposely set near the Shores of the several Bays, yet, by all that I could either observe or learn, the Cacao's in this Country are never blighted, as I have often known them to be in other places. Ca- coa-Nuts are used as Money in the Bay of Cam- pechy.

The chief Town of this Country is called Carac- cos, a good way within Land; 'tis a large wealthy place, where live most of the Owners of these Cacao-walks, that are in the Valleys by the shore; the Plantations being managed by Overseers and Negro's. It is in a large Savanah Country, that abounds with Cattle: and a Spaniard of my acquain- tance,