cordingly, neither Bantam nor its dependencies furnished the European government with a single pound of this article *."

The system of raising pepper in Java is now, however, completely changed; there is no longer a monopoly, and the cultivation of pepper has for the last few years been declared free.

This plant was introduced some time back at Cayenne, by General Bernard, who has with unceasing preseverance attended to its cultivation in that settlement, in the hope of making the French independent of foreign supply for its produce. It is said that he has already formed a plantation of more than thirty thousand pepper-trees on his estate f.

The pepper-plant, or pepper-vine as it is sometimes called, is a creeping or climbing plant, with a dark coloured stem, which requires support. When dry it exactly resembles the grape-vine branch, having the same sort of knots or joints. It is usual to plant a thorny tree by the side of this plant, to which it may cling. In Malabar, the chief pepper country of India, the Jacca tree (Artocarpus integrifolia) is made thus to yield its support, because the same soil is well adapted to the growth of both plants.

The stem of the pepper-plant entwines round its support to a considerable height; the flexile branches then droop downwards, bearing at their extremities, as well as at other parts, spikes of green flowers, which are followed by the pungent berries; these hang in large bunches resembling in shape those of grapes, but the fruit grows distinct on little stalks like currants. Each berry contains a single seed, which is of globular form and brownish colour, but changes to nearly a black when dried-this is the * History of Java, vol. i. p. 131.

+ La Guiane Française for 5th January, 1825.

pepper of commerce. The leaves somewhat resemble those of the ivy, but they are larger, and of rather a lighter colour; they partake strongly of the peculiar smell and pungent taste of the berry.

The plant is propagated by shoots, which do not produce fruit the first three years; the fourth year they come into bearing, and yield an increase of produce annually until the eighth year of their growth; they then gradually decline, and rarely bear for more than two or three years longer. When in full vigour, the pepper-plant is very prolific; each bunch usually contains from twenty to thirty berries, and sometimes as much as six or seven pounds of pepper are obtained from one tree. The time of the pepper harvest on the western coast of Sumatra is usually about September and October, and sometimes another smaller crop is gathered in March and April. The pepper plantations on this island are described as being most carefully cultivated; not a weed is to be seen, every species of litter is removed, and if the season be dry, the plants are watered with unremitting assiduity.

The black and white sorts of pepper are both the produce of the same plant; the best white peppers are supposed to be the finest berries which drop from the tree, and lying under it become somewhat blanched by exposure to weather-these the poor people pick up and bring to the merchants; they are, however, obtained in very small quantities, and are on that account, as well as for their superior quality, sold much dearer than the gathered pepper. The greater part of the white pepper used as a condiment, is, however, the black merely steeped in water and decorticated, by which means the pungency and real value of the pepper are diminished; but in this state it can be more readily reduced to powder, and,

when thus prepared, it has a fairer and more uniform appearance.

The pepper is distinguished in Sumatra into three sorts: the Molucca, which is the best; the second, Caytongee; and the worst sort, Negaree, which last is the most abundant; this is a small pepper usually full of dust; it is much lighter than the others, and therefore, unless the buyer be wise enough to purchase his pepper by weight instead of measure, he will assuredly be imposed upon, and have this substituted for the heavy Molucca berry.

By distillation a green coloured matter is obtained from pepper; this is partly resinous, and party oily, and to this the pepper owes its pungent quality *.

Several other species of this genus are used besides the piper nigrum. The southern Asiatics wrap up the slices of the areca nut, which they are in the habit of chewing, in the leaves of the beetta codi (piper betle), which is a native of India and China. Some species are likewise found in the West Indies and in South America; they are used there to season food, but are not at present known in

commerce.

Cayenne pepper is the pod of a species of capsicum dried and reduced to powder. There are many species of this genus, some of which have been already described in a former section. They differ from each other in bearing fruit of various size, shape, and colour; but they all have, in different degrees, the same pungent qualities; the smallest possessing them with the greatest intensity. They are natives of most of the tropical regions, but are most abundant and most used in the Western Hemisphere. In the West Indies, and in some parts of South America, they form, either in substance or in powder, an ingredient to almost every dish.

* Thomson's Chemistry.

PIMENTO, JAMAICA PEPPER, or ALLSPICE TREEMyrtus pimenta-is an extremely handsome tree; native of South America and the West Indies-especially of the island of Jamaica, whence the berries or pimento of commerce, are exported in large quantities. This tree grows to the height of about thirty feet, with a smooth brown trunk, and shining green leaves, resembling those of the bay; branches, coming out on all sides, are clothed in the most luxuriant

foliage. In the months of July and August a profusion of white flowers pleasingly contrast with the dark green leaves the whole forming an object of vegetable beauty rarely surpassed; while the rich perfume which is exhaled around, and which is wafted by the gentlest breeze, renders an assemblage of these trees one of the most delicious plantations of even a tropical clime. When the leaves are bruised, they emit a fine aromatic odour as powerful as that of the fruit; indeed it is said that they yield by distillation a delicate oil, which is often used in the dispensaries as a substitute for oil of cloves.

The pimento tree grows spontaneously in many parts of Jamaica; it abounds more particularly on the northern side of that island, in elevated spots near the coast. When a new plantation of these is to be formed, no regular planting or sowing takes place; it is usual to appropriate a piece of land either in the neighbourhood of a plantation already formed, or in a part of the woodlands where these trees are scattered in a native state. The land is then cleared of all wood but these trees, which are left standing, and the felled timber is allowed to remain where it falls to decay and perish. In the course of a year young pimento plants are found springing up on all parts of the land; produced, it is supposed, in cousequence of the ripe berries having been scattered there by the birds, while the prostrate trees protect and shade the tender seedlings. At the end of two years the land is thoroughly cleared, only those plants being left which promise a vigorous growth; these come to maturity in about seven years from the first formation of the plantation, and usually attain to the height of thirty feet. But though apparently of so easy propagation, it is only in those parts where the tree is of spontaneous production. Edwards observes, that "this tree is purely a child of