or Achiote, a foreign drug, used in dyeing, and in the preparation of chocolate. It is the same with what the French commonly call Rocou, and the Dutch Oeleane. It has been commonly esteemed a kind of argilla, or earth; but later observers find it a flower, or seed of a tree*, which grows chiefly in very hot countries, as Yucatan, or Campechy, and Guatemala. It is about the size of a plum-tree, only more tufted; its branches being longer than the trunk. The fruit is inclosed in a rind like a chestnut, except that it is of an oval figure. It begins to open crosswise from the middle to the top; and subdivides into four parts, having in the middle a beautiful carnation-coloured flower. The tree has no leaves; but instead thereof shoots out filaments like those of saffron, only bigger and longer. Between these grow little soft vermilion-coloured grains, about the size of pepper-corns; which the Indians, separating from the filaments, bake in cakes of about half a pound each; in which form the drug is brought into Europe. The poor people use Achiote instead of saffron; others mix it as an ingredient in chocolate, during the grinding of the cacao, the quantity of two drams to a pound, to give it a reddish colour, &c. though this practice was formerly more frequent than at present, the opinion of its being an earth, which even Mr Ray fell into, having discredited its use. Some also use it to dye wax of a vermilion colour. Physicians hold it a good cordial, and preservative against suppression of urine. F. Labat describes the Achiote somewhat differently; especially the preparation of it for dying. The tree, according to him, produces yearly its crops of flowers, of a carnation colour; not unlike wild roses. These are succeeded by a kind of rough pods, or fruit resembling chestnuts, full of small grains, which being fermented in water, and this water afterwards passed through a caribbe sieve, it contracts a red colour. It is then boiled, scummed, set on the fire again, and stirred; till at length it thickens, and will fall loose from the spatula; which is the Achiote or Rocou in perfection; though to make it more beautiful, they have two further processes, which are described by F. Labat*. According to Savary, to procure the Achiote, they shake out the grains in an earthen vessel, soak and then wash them in several repeated warm waters, till they have discharged all their vermillion colour; after which, letting the water stand to settle, the fecula at the bottom is taken and formed into little cakes and balls; which when pure, and not adulterated either with red earth, or fine brick-dust, are highly valued. Some also use fire to boil the Achiote, and give it a farther consistence.