The Inhabitants, who have a great deal to do, and have but few Slaves, plant the Trees nearer, because by this means they gain room, and they have less trouble to keep it clear; when afterwards the Trees come to hurt and annoy each other by their Proximity, and they have had some Crops to supply their present Necessities: or if otherwise, they are obliged to cut some to give Air to the rest. On the Coast of _Caraqua_, they plant the _Cocao-Trees_ at 12 or 15 Feet distance, and they make Trenches to water them from time to time in the dry Seasons. They happily experienced the Success of this Practice at _Martinico_ some Years since. The _Manioc_[6] is a woody Shrub, whose Roots being grated, and baked on the Fire, yield a _Cassave_, or Meal, which serves to make Bread for all the Natives of _America_. They plant it in the new Nurseries, not only because it is necessary to supply the _Negroes_ with Food, but also it hinders the Growth of Weeds, and serves to shade the young _Cocao-Trees_, whose tender Shoots, and even the second Leaves, are not able to resist the scorching Beams of the Sun. For this reason they wait till the _Manioc_ shades the Feet of the Sticks before they plant the _Cocao-Trees_, in the manner that we shall describe in the following Chapter. FOOTNOTES: [n] Relation of the River of the _Amazons_. [o] I have added this Explication, because _Pomet_ makes it come from _Caraqua_, of the Province of _Nicaragua_ in _New Spain_, which is distant from _Caracas_ 5 or 600 Leagues. V. VII. Chap. xiv. [p] Thomas Gage, _Tom. 1. Part 2. Chap. 19. Pag. 150._ [q] Rochefort's _Natural History of the _Antilloes_. Book 1. Chap. 6. Artic. 16._ [r] Father _Tertre_'s Hist. of the _Antilloes_. Tom. 2. p. 184. [s] These are the Savage Natives of the _Antilloes_. [t] That Part is call'd so, which lies exposed to the Winds which come always from the _North-East_ to the _South-East_. That Part under the Wind, is called _Basse-Terre_. [5] See the fifth Remark at the End of the Treatise. [u] These violent and outrageous Winds blow from all Points of the Compass in twenty-four Hours. And this is one material thing to distinguish them from the regular and common Winds of this Climate. [6] See the Remark at the sixth Article. CHAP. III. Of the Method of Planting a Nursery, and to cultivate it till the Fruit comes to Maturity.