to India by the Cape of Good Hope, we find that the price of pepper in the markets of Europe had fallen to 6s a pound, or 3s. 4d. less than in the time of Pliny.  What probably contributed to this fall, was the superior skill in navigation of the now converted Arabs, and the extension of their commerce to the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, which abounded in pepper.  After the great discovery of Vasco de Gama, the price of pepper fell to about 1s. 3d. a pound, a fall of 8s. 1d. from that of the time of Pliny, and of 4s. 9d. from that of the Mahommedan Arabs, Turks, and Venetians.

In 1826, 14,000,000 lbs. of pepper were imported into the United Kingdom, of which about 5,500,000 were re-exported.  In 1841, 15,000,000 lbs. were imported, of which 6,500,000 were re-shipped to other countries.

The home consumption, it will be seen, now averages about 3,250,000 lbs.:—­

Imports        Home consumption
lbs.               lbs.
1845       9,852,984          3,209,718
1846       5,906,586          3,299,955
1847       4,669,930          2,966,022
1848       8,125,545          3,185,337
1849       4,796,042          3,257,911
1850       8,028,319          3,170,883
1851       3,996,496          3,303,403
1852       6,641,699          3,524,501

The following return shows the number of bags of pepper imported into the United Kingdom, with the quantity retained for home consumption:—­

Imports.                     Retained for home consumption. 
Black.         White.              Black.       White.
bags          bags              bags.        bags.
1843        37,840        3,861              21,163      2,257
1844        60,705        2,123              23,525      2,122
1845        80,600        3,208              30,294      2,861
1847        37,194        1,236              28,768      2,654
1848        65,518        3,042              31,665      3,950
1849        43,651        2,616              32,246      3,859

CHILLIES AND CAYENNE PEPPER.

Chillies or capsicum are long roundish taper pods, divided into two or three cells, full of small whitish seeds.  When this fruit is fresh, it has a penetrating acrid smell; to the taste it is extremely pungent, and produces a most painful burning in the mouth.  They are occasionally imported dry, and form the basis of Cayenne pepper; put in vinegar when green or ripe, they are an acceptable present in Europe.  In Bengal the natives make an extract from the chillies, which is about the consistence and color of treacle.

The consumption of chillies in India is immense, as both rich and poor daily use them, and it is the principal ingredient in all chutnies and curries; ground into a paste, between two stones, with a little mustard, oil, ginger, and salt, it forms the only seasoning which the millions of poor in that country can obtain to eat with their insipid rice.  They are worth in the Bombay market about 40s. the candy of 600 lbs.