26 RUBBER 



CHAPTER VI 



MAKING PARA RUBBER IN THE FOREST 



After breakfast, the seringueiro sets about trans- 

 forming 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 bum 

 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 

 rolls a layer of freshly-made rubber round the blade. 

 Then he holds the paddle over the funnel, revolving 

 the blade in the smoke until the covering of rubber is 

 thoroughly dry. Next, 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 



