26 RUBBER 



CHAPTER VI 



MAKING PARA RUBBER IN THE FOREST 



After breakfast, the seringueiro sets about trans- 

 fonning the morning's " milk " into solid rubber — in 

 technical language, he submits the liquid to a treatment 

 whereby it is coagulated. 



He makes up a big fire with palm-nuts, which burn 

 splendidly, as they are very rich in oil, and which give 

 off a thick smoke. It is with this smoke that he is 

 going to dry and cure his rubber, and as he wants it to 

 be very dense and heavily laden with the essence of 

 the fuel, over the fire he puts a funnel, which acts as 

 a chimney, and draws up the smoke in a compressed 

 cloud. 



He now takes a paddle-shaped piece of wood, and 

 dips the blade into the rubber milk. Then he holds 

 the paddle over the fumiel, revolving the blade in 

 the smoke until the covering of rubber is thoroughly 

 dry. Again he dips the blade into the new "milk," 

 and again holds it in the smoke until the sticky liquid 

 solidifies as a coating round the foundation layer 

 of rubber. Again and again he plunges the paddle 

 into the " milk " and holds it in the smoke, until 

 he has a large ball of rubber made up of layer upon 

 layer of the material. This is cut through and 

 the paddle removed ; the rubber is then ready to go 

 to market, and will perform the first stage of its 

 journey thither on Saturday, when it is taken by the 

 seringueiro to the manager's store. 



Extra large balls of rubber, or " pelles," are made in 



