The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-10-22
WAIIAN GAZETTE
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
T. CRAWFORD MACDOWELL.
WEDNESDAY,. OCT q. ls7.
The Adventures of Coffee Plant.

The inhabitants of the Caribbee Islands, as the
French possessions 10 the West Indies are called
by the Eng.ish still remember with gratitude the
name Of Gabriel Clieu, a French officer, to whose
enterprise and zeal they acknowledge that they
owe The chief source OF their wealth. Glen was
the first person who succeeded 10 introducing
the coffee pliut into those islands. and he had
the satisfaction of living to see bis experiments
go successful that the Antilles from this trihIng
cause alone, rose 10 be among the most prosper
Gus of colonial possessions. letter OF this
excellent man exists. 10 which be gives simple
and interesting narrative OF the efforts which Sc
cured this happy result
Clieu was a captain of infantry stationed with
his company at Martiulco one of the islands re-
ferred TO. Though possessing high mountains
covered with trees, several rivers, and fertile
valleys. the island would produce neither wheat
nor vines and was ID some respects untavorabe
to agriculture Clieu who was aware OF these
defects determined to make an effort 10 discover
some useful crop suited To It's soil and climate.
Ii happened that private affairs called hlm to
France, but the captain Of infantry had no busl
ness more important 10 his eyes than that Of
procuring a coffee plant OF species adapted for
cultivation in Martinico. More occupied" he
says, with the public good than with my own
interests. was not discouraged at the failure OF
the attempts that had been made during forty
years to introduce and naturalize the cohee-tIee
in our islands. | made fresh efforts to obtain q
plant from the Royal Botanic Garden. but was
for long time unsuccessful. / returned many
times to the charge without being dlsheartened,
till at length success crowned my perseverance,.
1t would be useless to enter into details OF the
iufuite care gave TO this delicate plant during
long voyage. and the difficulty had to save it
from The hands of a mao envOus of the happi-
I in hait, nj my rv g.
aud who, not being able to rob me of this coffee
tree, broke off branch from it," Water becom-
ing very scarce on board the chip in which he
sailed, the passengers had TO be put on short al
lowance but the enthusi Istic Clleu nevertheless
shared small portion with his cherished plant.
He had no sooner arrived at MartinicO than he
planted, in soil suitably prepared for it, bis prec-
ious shrub which had become more precious
from the risk it had run, and the and anxi.
ETY. it had cost him. At the end of eighteen or
twenty months he collected abundant crop,
and distributed the beans among the religious
houses and various inhabitants, who knew the
value of this production. and felt how much ii
was capable of enriching them They spread
from neighbor to neighbour and Glen continued
to distribute the fruit of the young plants which
| grew under the shadow of heir common parent
| Guadaloupe and st. Domingo were soon abun
! dainty supplied. The new product increased
and multiplied everywhere. But what rendered
| its progress more rapid at Martinez the
blight that had struck all the cocoa plants with
out exception. The smaller inhabitants, TO the
| number Of five or six thousand were absolutely
! deprived of Il natural product, almost the only
one they had to give in exchange for the com
modlties sent from France. They had no other
resource except the cultivation Of coffee, tc
which they exclusively devoted themselves with
! hat far ed thpi N