88 TiMEHRI. 



is doing for Para, and how it is got and prepared for the 

 market, that the members of this Society and the com- 

 munity at large may see whether something similar 

 may not be carried out in this Colony. , 



The State of Para, it is said, is the most progressive 

 of all the States of Brazil^ chiefly from the enormous 

 quantity of rubber exported monthly to Europe and 

 North America, besides other forest produ6ls such as the 

 « Castanha," (Brazilian nut.) " Caucho," " Copahyba," 

 Sarsaparilla, &c., and also Cacao. To give you an idea 

 of the exportation of Para, I may mention that on the 

 gth May, 1895, the s.s. Bazil left Para with a cargo of 

 60,000 kilogrammes of rubber, and on the 21st May, 

 1895, the s.s. Hilary y with 180,000 kilogrammes, all for 

 New York, at an average figure of five milreis per kilo- 

 gramme ; the exchange at the time being 9^d., or about 

 18 cents per milrei, and the Custom House dues on the 

 7th and 8th of that month were 574,840 milreis. 



During the eight months of my stay in Para I was 

 more than pleased at its healthy state and prosperity, and 

 indeed were it not for the rubber product Para would be 

 in a far worse decline than British Guiana is at present, as 

 the manufa6lure of sugar there is quite a thing of the past. 



The sugar cane is still grown in great quantity, but 

 for the making of *' erchaga" only, rum of 22 degrees, 

 and even this is quite insufficient for local consumption : 

 the sugar consumed in Para is imported from Pernam- 

 buco chiefly. 



Having become acquainted with several grant-holders 

 in the upper Amazon River, I had the opportunity of 

 gaining from them much information in connexion with 

 the india rubber tree. 



