IN THE EAST AND WEST INDIES.                                  f$$
feems at firft infipid, there are a great number of b o o k
white people who have been born in thefe iflands,, XI'
who prefer it to the beft wheat. Moft of the Spa-
niards in general ufe it conftantly. The French feed
their flaves with it. The other European nations, who
have fettlements in the iflands, are little acquainted
with the manioc. It is from North America that
thefe colonies receive their fubfiftence ; fo that if by
any accident, which may very poffibly take place,
their connedions with this fertile country were inter-
rupted but for four months, they would be expofed to
perifh by famine. An avidity that hath no bounds,
makes the colonifts of the iflands infenfible of this
imminent danger. All, at leaft the greater part, find
their advantage in turning the whole induftry of their
flaves towards thofe produdions which are the objeds
of commerce. The principal of thefe are indigo,
cochineal, cocoa, arnotto, cotton, coffee, and fugar.
We have mentioned the three firft in the hiftory of
the regions under the dominion of Caftile ; and we
will now defcribe the reft.
The arnotto is a red dye, called by the  Spaniards of the cut-
achiote, into which they dip the white wool, whatevertur^ of ar-
1i              -                                *    •                                  rr»,1                            1                -11     nott0'
colour they intend to give to it. The tree that yields
this dye is as high, and more bufhy than the plum-
tree. It hath a reddifh bark ; its leaves are large,
alternate, cordiform, and fupplied at their bafe with
two ftipulae or membranes, which fall off early. The
flowers, difpofed in clutters, have a calix of five di-
vifions, and ten petals of a flight purple colour, five
of which are internal and fmaller. They are found,
as well as a great number of flamina, under the piftil,
which is crowned with a fingle ftyle. The fruit is a
capfula of a deep red colour, fluck with foft points,
wide at its bafe, and narrowed at the top. It opens
longitudinally into two great valves, furnifhed inter-
nally with a longitudinal receptacle, covered with
feeds. Thefe feeds are done over with a red fubftanee,
which may be extraded from them, and which is,