3(5 THE BARK-TRADE Chap. II. 



remained in the vicinity of the inliabited places ; and the bark 

 was exported in such quantities that the price fell very much.^ 

 It was not, however, until 1830 that the Bolivian Govern- 

 ment interfered in the bark trade. It was then considered 

 necessary by General Santa Cruz's administration to check 

 the di-ain of this precious source of wealth by limiting the 

 quantity of bark to be cut or exported ; and in November, 

 1834, the Bolivian Congress decreed a law on the subject, 

 which, however, never took effect. Finally, the cutting was 

 prohibited for five years, but before the expiration of that 

 period the decree was abrogated, and an export duty of twelve 

 doUars to twenty dollars the quintal, or cvd., was imposed. 



In 1844 the Bolivian Congress authorized the President, 

 General BalKvian, to negotiate for the establishment of a 

 national bank of bark, with the requisite capital, to export all 

 the quinquina bark produced in the country. This Bolivian 

 legislation on the chinchona bark, wliich is considered, with 

 justice, the most important product of their country, is very 

 curious, and sufficiently demonstrates the futility of attempt- 

 ing a system of protection and monopoly. Instead of taking 

 measures to prevent the reckless destruction of the trees, to 

 establish extensive nm'series for young plants, and thus 

 ensm-e a constant and sufficient supply of bark, these Bolivians 

 have meddled vdth the trade, attempted to regulate Em-opeau 

 prices by the most barbarous legislation, and allowed the 

 forests to be denuded of chinchona-trees. In 1845 the bark 

 monopoly was given to IMessrs. Jorge Tesanos Pinto and Co., 

 for five years, for the sum of 119,000 dollars, dm-ing which 

 time not more than 4000 quintals of bark were to be exported 

 annually. This company gave such iniquitously low prices 

 to the cascarilleros for their bark, that a clamour was raised 



TJie bark of C. Calisaya, known | called the bark from tlial species 



as "yellow bark" in commerce, was 

 at fii-st erroneousl)' believed to come 

 from (7. cordifolin, because Mutls had 



cascarilla amariUa, or " yellow bark." 



See p. 2S. 



