DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILD RUBBER 29 



any town, or from any part of the country where 

 farming is possible. It would not be worth their while 

 to go so far away and spend a lot of money on looking 

 for work of a different kind, when the chances are so 

 much on the side of their being compelled to return to 

 rubber-gathering as the only means of earning a living. 

 So they stop up in the flooded forests, living in the 

 shanties which are perched on the highest stilts. They 

 get through the long time from December to May as 

 best they can, doing a great deal of smoking, sleeping, 

 and idle gossiping. Sometimes they drink too much, 

 and sometimes they fight — you expected as much ? 

 Well, although you have only had a peep at the kind 

 of life these men lead, I am sure you have seen enough 

 to make you slow to judge them harshly. 



CHAPTER VII 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILD RUBBER 



Many varieties of the same species of tree belong to the 

 family which is known as " the Heveas," and several 

 of them are rubber-givers. All rubber obtained from 

 trees of this family has the distinctive name of " Para " 

 in the commercial world. Three qualities of wild 

 Para are sent to market — fine, entrefine or medium, 

 and coarse or negro-head. 



Fine Para is best quality rubber made from the 

 richest kinds of Hevea milk. It is cured through and 

 through, whilst the latex is being coagulated, with the 

 smoke of palm-nuts. The nuts most commonly used 

 in the Amazon region are the fruit of the urucuri palm, 



