January i, 1905.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



111 



WANCHO IN GROVE OF "CASTILLOA" PLANTED BY INDIANS. 



and hard tramps, counting and measuring trees in typical blocks, 

 and much questioning of native rubber cutters for a fair esti- 

 mate of the conditions that obtained elsewhere. One fact soon 

 impressed itself upon me. The Caslilloa was certainly better 

 adapted to flourish there than any other of the native trees. In 

 spite of the war of extermination that had been previously 

 waged against it, it was more abundant than any other single 

 tree. It often happened that a group of from 40 to 50 could be 

 counted from the trail, and it was a rare experience to go 25 

 feet in the lower forest without seeing at least one tree. While 

 many of them were lofty, few were more than eight or ten 

 inches in diameter. The very largest tree that I saw far up in 

 a secluded mountain valley was not over 22 inches in diameter. 

 The natives could always pick those that are the best milkers. 

 As a rule these trees had a larger leaf area than the others, 

 which accounts, I think, for the extra flow of latex. Those in 

 the dense forest seemed to bear few seeds, while on the edges 

 of the trails or in open places they were abundant seed bearers. 

 There seemed to be no leaf or bark diseases, and even trees 

 that had been mutilated the worst by the rubber gatherers 

 seemed to be sound and healthy. 



Exploration was, of course, greatly hindered by the heavy 

 rains that came nearly every afternoon, and sometimes in the 

 morning as well. These swelled the rivers so that fording was 

 difficult and turned the steeper trails into muddy torrents. The 

 shacks of Indians who were collecting rubber were often vis- 

 ited and deserted camps always examined. A camp usually 

 consisted of a palm thatched leanto, just big enough for two 

 men to sleep in, on a narrow pole covered bench. In one cor- 

 ner was a hole in the ground about two feet deep and 18 inches 

 in diameter, to receive the rubber milk, and in which it was later 

 coagulated. Three stones as big as a man's head formed the 

 fireplace, with a bunch of dry sticks for fuel ; calabashes for 

 gathering, the machete for tapping, and the amole vine for co- 

 agulating, finish the tale of the rubber gatherers' equipment. 



Although camp Rio Negro was headquarters, we were often 

 obliged to make other camps for a few days. For example 

 when examining the upper valleys 1000 feet above sea level 

 a rubber gatherer's shack was our home for three days. 

 Two things in particular were noted on this trip. The rubber 

 trees rarely grew on the tops of the " hog backs " or ridges, but 



on the sides, and in the valleys. Nor did it grow in wet lands 

 at all. Then the seeding of the tree at that altitude was about 

 a month later than on lands only from 50 to 300 feet above the 

 sea. 



There was much less game in the upper country, and, weary 

 of tinned meats, it was not surprising that we tried and enjoyed 

 parrot stew, or that monkeys should have been turned into 

 rabbit stew — not big, black 25 pound monkeys, of which we 

 shot several, but the little brown faced edible monkeys. 



It is not to be supposed that all work was done on foot. 

 Wherever it was feasible either horses or mules were used, and 

 by following the ancient Indian trails we were able to save our- 

 selves much time and toil. The horses were small, gentle stal- 

 lions and quite surefooted. I said gentle, and so they were 

 toward all of human kind, but when turned out to browse there 

 were some very pretty stallion fights, but with no harm done. 

 The mules were small, but strong, and made much trouble be- 

 cause they knew of the grass plains some miles away and were 

 in the habit of stealing away at night and making for them. 

 As the trails in some places were very steep I chose a little 

 mule called Chiquita, and she proved to be a treasure. She 

 could ford a swift running river and keep her feet, while the 

 others were stumbling and half swimming. I verily believe she 

 could climb a greased pole or slide down a log chute and never 

 miss her footing, if she so elected. The Scout, the Pioneer, and 

 the Prospector rode horses, while the Commodore, who was a 

 trifle over 200 in weight, took the " mula i^rande " or big mule. 

 Speaking of the Commodore's mount, I thought he would 

 have trouble, for that particular mule demanded the same 

 treatment that the other mules received. I saw him watch me 

 when I leaned forward in the saddle and eased Chiquita up a 

 sharp rise by twisting my fingers in her mane. The Commo- 

 dore, however, by reason of his stoutness, could not easily do 

 this and so sat up straight. The big mule grew sullen, and 

 finally, as we forded the Marieto, and climbed its steep, clayey 

 banks, he suddenly stopped half way up, shook himself and be- 

 gan to tip slowly over backwards. Of course the Commodore 

 slid off over his tail, and sat down in the river, and an instant 

 later was holding the big mule in his lap. I ought not to have 

 laughed, nor should I had not Chiquita turned around and 

 winked at me. 



I had long wished to see how the Indians coagulated the 

 latex of the Castilloa by the addition of the juice of the amole 

 vine and now had the opportunity, not once but many times. 

 Usually the coagulation is done in a hole in the ground ; if. 



CRUZ, THE HUNTER, WITH WILD TURKEY. 



