The following have been the exports from this island from 1821 to 1844:—

lbs.
18211,214,093
18221,780,379
18232,424,703
18242,661,628
18252,760,603
18262,951,171
18273,696,144
18282,582,323
18292,756,603
18301,646,531
18311,888,852
18321,530,990
18333,090,526
18343,363,630
18352,744,643
18363,188,870
18372,507,483
18382,571,915
18392,914,068
18402,007,494
18412,493,302
18422,163,798
18431,099,975
(Mill's Trinidad Almanac).

In a lecture delivered by Dr. Lindley before the Society of Arts, alluding to the colonial products shown, at the Great Exhibition, he said:—

"There was one sample which ought to be mentioned most especially; namely, the cocoa of admirable quality which comes, or which may come, from Trinidad. Cocoa—cacao, as we should call it—is an article of very large consumption. Enormous quantities of it are now used in the navy; and every one knows how much it is employed daily in private life. It is, moreover, the basis of chocolate. But we have the evidence of one of the most skilful brokers in London, who has had forty years experience to enable him to speak to the fact—that we never get good cocoa in this country. The consequence is, that all the best chocolate is made in Spain, in France, and the countries where the fine description of cocoa goes. We get here cocoa which is unripe, flinty, and bitter, having undergone changes that cause it to bear a very low price in the market. But it comes from British possessions, and is, therefore, sold here subject to a duty of only 18s. 8d. per cwt., whereas if it came from a foreign country it would pay 56s.[3] The differential duty drives the best cocoa out of the English market. Still it appears that we might supply, from our own colonies, this very cocoa; because, as I have said, there was exhibited, from Trinidad, a very beautiful sample, quite equal to anything produced in the best markets of the Magdalena, of Soconusco, or of other places on the Spanish main. It had no bitterness, no flintiness, no damaged grain in it; but all were plump and ripe, as if they had been picked. The cocoa from the Spanish main goes into other countries, for the preparation of that delicious chocolate which we buy of them. It is thrown out of our market by the differential duty. But it is their own fault if our own colonies do not produce fine cocoa, as Trinidad has conclusively proved."

The exports of cacao from St. Lucia, where there are now 300 acres under cultivation, have been as follows:[4]—I have also added the produce of St. Vincent and Grenada imported here:—

Grenada.St. Lucia.St. Vincent.
lbs.lbs.lbs.
1828..75,27517,384
1829300,05193,79312,216
1830337,901153,3409,989
1831368,88298,0907,861
1832196,19551,925538
1833312,44691,0481,005
1834349,36760,6202,197
1835276,35949,2185,876
1836307,23647,9507,721
1837351,61348,5912,525
1838426,62638,5906,588
1839327,49754,639760
1840269,68082,2933,956
1841372,00878,2253,874
1842280,67955,1757,268
1843296,26948,27955,867
1844544,25365,6678,304
1845342,09231,0006,450
1850609,9111,3728,642
1852604,2999,4285,287

A little cacao is now grown in Antigua, about 19,000 lbs. having been exported from that island in 1843, and 2,000 in 1846.

Dominica and British Guiana produce small quantities; our imports from these quarters having been as follows:—

Dominica.Demerara.
lbs.lbs.
18338,8082,051
18344,76786
1835685126
18362791,121
18371,896522
18381,054
18391,12758
18402,3662,376
18414,014129
184266798
18434,6144,178
18441,74610,209
18455,444

The cultivation of cacao in Cuba is of comparatively recent introduction, but it is expected to increase, and, in some degree, to supply the place of coffee, which is evidently on the decline there. In 1827, the gross produce of Cuba amounted to 23,806 arrobas, and the exports to 19,053. In the same year, 15,301¾ arrobas were imported, so that at that period the production was not adequate to the consumption. The expectation of a great increase of production seems not to have been realized, as the exports of cacao in 1837 were only 587¼ arrobas, while the imports amounted to 40,837½ arrobas.