168 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1912 



A Morning With the Rubber Gatherers in Panama. 



THE wet weatlicr had moderated, tlie moon was changing 

 in clear skies, the wind swung around to the north-east, 

 and the rubber men in their distant mountain homes read 

 in the skies that the tapping season was now at hand. The 

 "man on the job" at headquarters had anxiously watched the 

 sky for weeks, knowing that continued wet weather would pre- 

 vent the natives from coming to work, meaning the loss of a 

 month's production of rubber, and incidentally a call down from 

 the home office. 



Fortune, or rather the weather, was kind to him, and the morn- 

 ing dawns on clear skies and settled weather. He has been astir 

 for two hours working by candle light, with every man, woman 

 and child in the camp assisting in making ready the food supplies 

 and camp equipment. The season is to be opened at Camp 

 Pearson, a mountain camp lifteen miles from headquarters, and 

 everything from a box of matches to the heavy rubber press, 

 must be packed on the backs of men for this destination. 



The first "grito" (or eall from the morning caucheros) is heard 

 in the distant liills and soon they arrive in groups of ten or 

 twenty men, women, children and a score of emaciated dogs. 

 By noon time the camp is alive with natives ; the men sharpening 

 their machetes and pri-pairing their pack-loads, the women cook 

 ing a hurried mea!, the boys shouting and the dogs quarreling 



The Mandador, Jose, selects twelve of the most active natives. 

 and slinging their packs, with machetes in hand, they start off 

 in advance to open the trail and prepare the distant camp for 

 occupancy. Later on, more men and boys, swing their alloteil 

 burdens to their backs and follow down the trail. The women 

 fall in behind, carrying the blankets and personal belongings of 



A Group of "Caucheros." 



the men. The man in charge locks up the house and with a 

 last look in the empty ranchos of the solitary camp, he starts 

 down the path. 



Over steep hills and rocky qucbiadas goes the trail where it is 

 hard climbing in places — then it leads through the tall trees, 

 forests of quiet shade and growing palms, where filtered sun- 



light marks the winding path. The curious monkeys look down 

 from the branches and bark a protest, while the parrots feeding 

 noisily in the trees complete the tropical picture. 



At the ford of the river the natives have halted. Some have 

 crossed, while others are helping the women. Strong poles are 



f','.; '■ 



■■■■■ -V,„,;>^ 



Building Headquarters at Camp Pearson. 



used to assist in breasting the current and there is much shouting 

 and laughter when an unfortunate native stumbles and falls in 

 the water. Nothing, however, serious happens with the excep- 

 tion of a wet sack of rice or a soaked motcte of clothing, and the 

 marcli is resumed. 



When the camp is finally reached the afternoon is well along. 

 Jose and his men have repaired the thatch of the ranchos and 

 made them habitable. The bush is cleared away, and bunks of 

 poles have been made along the sides of the huts, ready for the 

 approaching night. The cooks have been busy, and the pots 

 of rice are steaming, with the black coffee bubbling and sending 

 forth odors which can only be appreciated by a hungry bushman. 

 The call, "d comer" (meal time) brings willing hands to lift the 

 pots of hot rice and coffee from the fire and to place them on 

 the ground, where they are surrounded by the squatting natives, 

 who help themselves often and plentifully by means of large 

 spoons made from the calabash. 



The sun sinks lower, finally dropping out of sight, and the 

 night falls quickly. The toads and night insects tune up, the em- 

 bers of the fire crackle in the night air, an owl hoots dismally — 

 and the camp is asleep. 



Long before daylight, the "man on the job" shakes the cooks 

 out of their blankets, issues the rations, and stirs the drowsy 

 camp to activity. It is still dark when the morning meal is dis- 

 posed of, as the tappers should be at work by daylight. Jose 

 divides the caucheros into groups of fifteen and appoints a man- 

 dador to take charge of each group. Each man carries a latex- 

 can, a small calabash and the inevitable machete. The mandadors 

 are given certain districts to work in, and with pipes alight 



