" India-Rubber Collection at Para." 89 



The rubber tree exists no more as formerly, in great 

 quantity, within easy reach of the City of Para, for it 

 has perished through the injurious treatment of the inex- 

 perienced bleeder, or " Syringueiro," and it is only now 

 to be found plentifully at very great' distances away up 

 the Amazon River and its branches ; owing to this, the 

 planting of the rubber tree has been taken up of late 

 years, and is now being carried on, but the bleeding 

 of the cultivated trees has not yet commenced. Young 

 plants are taken in preference to seeds, and transplanted 

 where required, and thousands of plants, of the best 

 quality, have been shipped away to Mexico. 



There are several kinds of rubber-yielding plants, but 

 the best known is, what is called in Para, the " Syrin- 

 gueiro Preta," — Black rubber tree. As this kind of tree 

 is not found in great numbers together the extractions 

 from them are mixed with that of the others. 



The grantholders live entirely on their grants, and most 

 of them have very well-built residences, with beautiful 

 gardens and fruit trees surrounding them, and also ground 

 provisions. Long ranges are provided for the " Syrin- 

 gueiro," — Bleeder — as also a shop where the "Syrin- 

 gueiro " buys his requisites. Owing to the scarcity of 

 labourers, grant-holders are obliged to come down to 

 town, generally at the end of the year, when they settle 

 their accounts with the merchants, pay off their men, and 

 proceed to Ceara and Maranham in quest of new hands to 

 take up to their grants. The bleeding of the trees is 

 carried on by task, and the " Syringueiro " is paid for 

 the number of kilogrammes of rubber he prepares for the 

 market each day : the price varies according to the 

 quality he prepares, viz : from two to four milreis per 



M 



