ropical islands.

CAMEROONS.

The Cameroons, which we took from the Germans in 1916, is also on the
West Coast of Africa. It lags far behind the Gold Coast in output,
although both commenced to grow cacao about the same time. The Germans
spent great sums in the Cameroons in giving the industry a scientific
basis, they adopted the "estate plan," and possibly the fact that they
employ contract labour explains why they have not had the same
phenomenal success that the natives working for themselves have achieved
on the Gold Coast.

[Illustration: BARREL ROLLING, GOLD COAST.]

Various countries and districts which are responsible for about 97 per
cent. of the world's cacao crop have now been named and briefly
commented upon. Of other producing areas, the islands, Ceylon and Java,
are worthy of mention. In both of these (as also in Venezuela, Samoa[7]
and Madagascar) is grown the criollo cacao, which produces the plump,
sweet beans with the cinnamon "break." Cacao beans from Ceylon or Java
are easily recognised by their appearance, because, being washed, they
have beautiful clean shells, but there is a serious objection to washed
shells, namely, that they are brittle and as thin as paper, so that many
are broken before they reach the manufacturer. Ceylon is justly famous
for its fine "old red"; along with this a fair quantity of inferior
cacao is produced, which by being called Ceylon (such is the power of a
good name), tends to claim a higher price than its quality warrants.

[7] Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the pioneers in cacao
planting in Samoa, as readers of his _Vailima Letters_
will remember.

[Illustration: BAGGING CACAO, GOLD COAST.
Reproduced by permission of the Editor of "West Africa."]

CACAO MARKETS.

_From the Plantation to the European Market._

It is mentioned above that on the Gold Coast cacao is brought down to
Accra as head-loads, or in barrels, or in motor-lorries. These methods
are exceptional; in other countries it is usually put in sacks at the
estate. Every estate has its own characteristic mark, which is stamped
on the bags, and this is recognised by the buyers in Europe, and gives a
clue to the quality of the contents. There is not as yet a uniform
weight for a bag of cacao, although they all vary between one and two
cwt., thus the bags from Africa contain 1-1/4 cwts., whilst those from
Guayaquil contain 1-3/4 cwts. In these bags the cacao is taken to the