84 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH. ANN, 38 
which, from the structure of its fruit and flower, must be referred to 
the genus Apocin. As Barrére says, they collect a certain quan- 
tity of the milky juice, boil it for about a good quarter of an hour 
to give it a little consistency, and then get ready the molds which 
have been prepared for different things. These are usually made of 
a little clay, which they knead with sand so as to be easily broken. 
The molds for a syringe are shaped like a pearl or large pear, about 5 
or 6 inches long. They cover these molds with several coats of this 
boiled material, on which they trace various designs (traits figurés) 
with a knife point or bodkin. They are then carefully dried over a 
little fire, and completed by blackening them in the smoke. The 
molds are then broken. They also manufacture out of the same mate- 
rial, wine vessels (bottes) and seals (sceauaz), which stand water bet- 
ter than ordinary leather. The balls have plenty of elasticity, and 
when thrown will rebound five or six times. The rings are still more 
wonderful: Their spring is extraordinary, and they stretch infinitely. 
They are usually as large as the little finger, and are 14 inches in 
diameter. A ring, for example,-that exactly fits the five fingers of 
one hand held close together can be made to stretch sufficiently to 
allow of its passing not only over the person’s arm but over his entire 
body. It then contracts, and by its own elasticity returns to its 
original size (PBA, 141). La Condamine expresses similar wonder- 
ment, but adds some curious facts to his description: The rosin named 
cahout-chou, in those countries of the Province of Quito adjacent to 
the sea, is also very common on the banks of the Maranon, and serves 
for the same uses. When it is fresh, they work it with molds into 
what shape they please, and it is impenetrable by the rain, but what 
renders it the most remarkable is its great elasticity. They make 
bottles thereof, which it is not easy to break, boots, and hollow bowls, 
which may be squeezed flat, and when no longer under restraint, 
recover their first form. The Portuguese of Para have even learned 
of the Omagua to make squirts or syringes thereof, that have no 
need of a piston, or sucker; they are made hollow in the form of a 
pear when scooped, having a little hole at the small end, to which a 
pipe of the same size is fitted; they are then filled with water, and by 
squeezing them, they have the same effect as a common squirt. 
This machine is mightily in vogue among the Omagua; when they 
meet together by themselves for any merrymaking, the master of 
the house never fails to present one to each of his guests, and the 
use of the squirt with them is always the prelude to their most 
solemn feasts (LCo, 39). The Essequibo Indians used rubber to burn 
as candles, which gave a brilliant light (StC, m, 104). On the Orinoco 
the Otomac used rubber under the name of ‘‘caucho”’ to make their 
play balls (G, 1, 168-172). The manufacture of such rubber play- 
balls is thus described by Appun from among the Akawai of the upper 
