> Hi Listbuds, I still hope I didn't offend you, Richard. I pondered through my books last night to find something worthy on the subject to add here today. First of all, I didn't know Dr. Groome had departed us (maybe he has a son living down near Point Salines?) and I didn't think of him last night when I was rummaging through my office - those Grenadian historians that came to mind - and I respect greatly - were George Brizan, Raymund Devas, Alister Hughes and Barbara Steele - all of which, i would give my eye tooth to be in the company of (with the exception of Devas, who is long gone). So with that in mind, I would like to quote Mr. Hughes on the subject of Grenada nutmegs: (the first part is similar tale of the Dutch and Moluccan Islands which Groome also stated - and you can find in the delightful book, Nathaniel's Nutmeg - (oh, it was a Frenchman, Peter Poivre, who raided the Dutch nutmeg plantations and stole 10,000 seeds. He planted them not to any success in French Guiana). "Some 25 years later, the British had more success. Following the French Revolution of 1789 and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, Britain was drawn into hostilities with France and her ally Holland. in the war which resulted, Britain ousted the Dutch from the Molluccas in 1796 and until 1802, when the islands were given back to the Dutch under the Treaty of Amiens, had full control of all the nutmeg plantations. Seizing this golden opportunity, the British East India Company collected large quantities of nutmeg plants, some of which were set out in the British colonies of Penang off the Malay peninsula. These cultivations did very well and by 1812, nutmeg was a major crop of Penang. Other plantings were attempted with varying success in Calcutta, Madras, Brazil, and several West Indian islands. This experiment did not extend to Grenada and, at this time, the nutmeg did not achieve any economic importance in the Caribbean. Grenada's connection with the nutmeg was created by a curious link between sugar producers of the British West Indies and their counterparts in British colonies in the Far East. The sugar industry was then much more important to the West Indies than it is today and, in these islands, the system of sugar extraction had been developed to a fine art. The method used in the Far East was not as efficient and, to upgrade that system, arrangemennts were made for a transfer of West Indian technology. Competent sugar plantation overseers, including some from Grenada, were identified for secondment to British Far East sugar plantations and, in 1840, they were sent out to Penang to do a stint as managers, introducing their system of sugar extraction. These agriculturists, returning home, brought nutmeg seeds with them as a curiosity, and it is believed the first nutmeg tree in Grenada grew from a seed that was brought from the Banda Islands by Frank Gurney and planted in 1843 at Belvidere Estate. .... But fate was to change when in 1851, disaster struck the nutmeg plantations of the Far East. A nocturnal worm attacked the trees and the top branches withered and all the leaves fell off. The trunks then disintegrated in a remarkably short time and the trees fell. This was catastrophic for the plantations of Singapore which were reduced from 56,000 trees to a few hundred. ..... The news of these Far East disasters reached Grenadian farmers and they saw in them an opportunity to diversify the agricultural base of the island's economy. ...after 1860, the nutmeg began to be planted in Grenada as an economic crop. " Captain Louis De La Grenade had given passage to a missionary from the Far East and in return the man gave Louis some seeds and a recipe for a liqueur. He took them home to Mardi Gras Estate in Grenada, planted them, and then all hell broke out with the insurrection of 1795-6. La Grenade was known to be bitter enemies with Julien Fedon, which no doubt had to do with La Grenade changing sides; allegiance and religion. (Which many of the French loyalists left the island for Trinidad - Cheryl, this may be a place to look for Girauds). The La Grenade family kept the estate and their "secret' recipe. In 1991 Cecile La Grenade began producing, in earnest, the liqueur in a factory on the Mardi Gras Estate (near the grave of Louis De La Grenade). Since 1970, her mother, Sybil, had begun the production of nutmeg syrup, jelly and jam. (Living in maple syrup country, I can tell you, I "use" to travel with maple syrup in tow, but now savour the chance breakfast with nutmeg syrup). Introducing nutmeg to Grenada..... I don't think French settlers had the ambitions of the Brits, which was to make big bucks and get home - having nutmeg trees on his estate, yes, I think he did. La Grenade had cocoa trees and nutmegs and cocoa live together well (cocoa likes the shade of the tall bushy nutmeg and grow well under its canopy). Until the Brits arrived and earnestly got started in sugar cultivation, Grenada was coffee, cocoa and indigo plantations. In 1763 82% of all coffee exported to England from the British West Indies was from Grenada. By 1778, Grenada still produced 60% of all exported from BWI. Also the largest producer and exporter of cocoa in the 1760's and 1770's in BWI. (Brizan) So that's my two cents ... toss it in the wind or put it in your pocket. Best regards to all, Cindy