BOLIVIA A NEW SOURCE FOR RUBBER. 49r 



The country adjacent to the lower Beni produces cacao beans, vanilla beans,. 

 Brazil nuts and many other useful articles of commerce. The waters of the upper 

 Beni run through a country that produces Peruvian bark, cacao, coffee, gold, 

 silver and copper. 



The commercial product of the country adjacent to the lower Beni, which 

 promises the richest development in the future is rubber. "The supply of rub- 

 ber to be obtained in this region," said Dr. Heath, " is practically inexhaustible. 

 Oh the north side of the Beni River the forest extends from the water's edge over 

 15° of latitude. I penetrated this dense forest at one place as far as twenty-one 

 miles from the river, and the further I went inland I found the rubber trees in- 

 crease in size and number. Each square league contains from 300 to 5,000 trees.- 

 On the south side of the river the forest is only from three to ten miles wide, but 

 it abounds in rubber trees." 



Dr. Heath left Reyes for the mouth of the Beni, August 4, 1880, and arriv- 

 ed at its junction with the Mamore October nth. The first part of the voyage 

 war made in a canoe propelled by eight Indians, the latter part in a canoe with 

 two Indians. The actual time occupied in paddling down the stream was a little 

 over five days, the rest of the time being devoted to an examination of the adja- 

 cent country and to collecting and noting objects of interest. On August 7th, Dr. 

 Heath was compelled to He to near a sand-bar on account of what the natives 

 call a south wind, which is similar to the "norther" of Texas. The journey was 

 resumed on the 8th. On either side of the river was found a mass of dense 

 foliage extending to the water's edge, like the forest on the Amazon. At low 

 water there are many sand-bars in the river, where turtles deposit their eggs in 

 great numbers. They were much reHshed by the Indians, but Dr. Heath found 

 them strong and oily. On the 8th River Tarene was passed and many tigers 

 were seen. The favorite food of the voyagers was roast monkey. Dr. Heath 

 pronounced the flesh excellent, superior to that of any other animal food. The 

 monkeys were found in abundance throughout the voyage. What is called the 

 black spider monker is regarded by connoisseurs in monkey flesh as most tempt 

 ing to the appetite. The monkey that is to be prepared for the meal is placed 

 for a moment over a brush fire. This blisters the skin and the hair is readily 

 scraped off. 



On August 14th Cavinas, a small mission station, was reached. Here they 

 encountered some Arauna Indians who are reputed cannibals. They are of a 

 low order of intelligence, small of stature, with skin dry and wrinkled. Dr. 

 Heath was told that one of these Indians in the neighborhood went out hunting, 

 and returning empty-handed deliberately killed and cooked his infant child, and 

 he and his wife sat down to the repast without any compunctions of conscience. 

 These Indians live upon the banks of the Madre de Dios and occasionally make 

 excursions to Cavinas, murdering Indians of the Cavinas tribe, presumably eating 

 eating them afterward. Some hundred miles below Cavinas are found the Paca- 

 vara Indians. These Indians are pecuHarly well formed, their features being regu- 

 lar, and some of the women are deserving of being called beautiful, their complex- 



