Chap. IT. BARK-COLLECTORS. 33 



natives of South America been beliindhand. Caldas and Zea 

 were worthy successors of Mutis ; Franco Davila^ represents 

 tlie botanical learning of Peru ; Avhile in more modern times 

 the name of the South American Triana is not unworthy to 

 stand side by side with those of the best botanists in Europe. 



After the days of Kuiz and Pavon, our chief authority on 

 the grey barks of Huanuco is Dr. Poeppig, now a professsor in 

 Leipsic, who travelled in Chile and Peru between the years 

 1827 and 1832.^ He says that, as in New Granada, the grey 

 barks of Huanuco soon fell into discredit in the European 

 markets, oAving to the adulterations of small speculators, and 

 that after 1815 the trade almost entirely ceased.^ In 1830 

 scarcely 1250 lbs. of bark found their way from Huanuco to 

 Lima. 



In the flourishing times of the Huanuco bark trade the 

 cascarilleros, or bark-collectors, entered the forests in parties 

 of ten or more, with supplies of food and tools. They pene- 

 trated for several days into the virgin forest until they came 

 to the region of the chinchona-trees, when they built some 

 rude huts and commenced their work. The cateador, or 

 searcher, then climbed a higli tree, and, with the aid of expe- 

 rience and sharp sight, soon discovered the mancJias or clumps 

 by theu' dark colour, and the peculiar reflection of the light 

 from their leaves, easily observable even in the midst of these 

 endless ex23anses of forest. The cateador, then, with never- 

 erring instinct, conducted the party for hours through the 

 tangled brushwood, to the chinchona chimp, using the wood- 

 knife at every step. From a single clump they often obtained 

 a thousand pounds of bark, wliich was sent up to be dried 

 beyond the limits of the forest. All depended on the success 



* A Peruvian -who was for many 

 years Director of the Cabinet of Natural 

 History in Madrid, during the reigu of 



fcssor an der Universitiit zu Leipzig, ii. 

 pp. 217-23, 257-64. 



' Stevenson, however, says that large 



Charles III. quantities of bark were brought from 



® Rehe in Peru, wdhrend der Jahre ' the woods east of Huamalies in 1825. 

 1827-32, von Eduard Poeppig, Pro- —Travels, ii. p. 66. 



D 



