ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 143 



arrangements of gangs of men, and the pay for tapping and coagulating. 

 The favorite method undoubtedly will be to give each native a certain 

 stint, measured by the amount of latex that he brings in. I got a number 

 of estimates as to the cost of tapping and coagulating, based on actual 

 work, and in no case was it more than ten cents a pound, Mexican. 



Another thing that the planters plan to do is to produce clean, dry 

 rubber, and there is no reason why they should not accomplish it. Of 

 the various means of coagulating that are devised by experts, the one that 

 seems to appeal the most strongly to the practical planter on the Isthmus, 

 is the use of the juice of the "amole" vine, the Ipoinoea Bona no.v, which 

 is most abundant everywhere, and which apparently adds nothing to the 

 rubber, and effects a quick and clean coagulation. 



After coffee at the Sanchez abode, we returned to Minatitlan, retired 

 early and at three o'clock the next morning were awakened by Mr. 

 Luther, escorted to the launch, bidden a hearty good-bye and were on 

 our way to Coatzacoalcos, to take the morning train for Tehuantepec. 

 We had planned to take a river steamer, the Dos Rios, and visit the 

 plantations far up the river, of which there are a lot, but a snag having 

 punched a hole in the boat's bottom, it was forced to tie up for repairs, 

 thus disarranging our plans. We therefore decided to go at once to the 

 Pacific side, and "dry out" and rest, and so it happened that at nine 

 in the morning we were again on the train, this time bound west. 



