254 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



people, probably a rubber-collector farther down the river; 

 that was the reason why they had mistrusted us. We 

 showed them how to use the machetes and hatchets, and 

 they seemed delighted; but when we demonstrated the 

 use of matches their joy knew no bounds; they yelped and 

 danced, made weird grimaces, and tried to set the trees 

 and bushes afire, like so many monkeys. Finally, upon 

 our urgent invitation, the chief shouted a guttural com- 

 mand, and three more savages appeared instantly and 

 joined the group, making seven in all; the late arrivals 

 were also treated in a generous manner, and then we with- 

 drew to our boat. Before leaving, however, we promised 

 to return and bring more machetes and matches, which 

 they seemed particularly to appreciate, and they in turn 

 promised to have the bench in the palm-leaf shed heaped 

 with bows and arrows and other things of their making, 

 promises which were religiously kept on both sides. 



Our next halt was forty kilometres farther down-stream 

 at a rubber-camp known as Urupa. There were several 

 palm-leaf huts standing on a slight elevation, so we took 

 our hammocks and mosquito-nets and spent the night 

 ashore. Travelling eighty kilometres the next day, we 

 reached another rubber-camp called La Pena. The sur- 

 rounding forest appeared most attractive, and it was said 

 that a footpath led far into the interior to the side of an 

 old Indian village, so I decided to remain at this point a 

 few days to collect. However, a short walk down the trail 

 soon showed that this plan was not feasible; the whole 

 country was inundated to a depth of several feet, and there 

 were so many fallen trees and clumps of thorny undergrowth 

 that hunting was out of the question. 



The next day we reached Monte Christo, the depot of a 

 large rubber concern which has its headquarters on the 

 Madeira; about one hundred men had congregated here to 

 await the coming of the dry season, when they would begin 

 collecting rubber-latex from the hevea-trees which abound 

 in the forest. Several long, thatched sheds housed the 



