Industry of Paea. 361 



Agriculture has been ruined by the universal rush into 

 " extractive industry" — that is, the collection of the natural 

 products, as rubber, nuts, sarsaparilla, etc. — exactly as in 

 California, tvp^enty years ago, all industry was swallowed 

 up in the rush for gold. The rubber trade absorbs su- 

 preme attention ; sugar-cane is grown for the manufacture 

 of rum, sugar being imported from the southern provinces; 

 and the cultivation of cotton, rice, coffee, and cacao along 

 the Amazons is nearly neglected. Almost every grain of 

 rice, so lai-gely used on the Amazons steamers, comes from 

 Guajara and Bahia. Rubber-collecting is also depopulat- 

 ing some districts, especially the department of Beni. It 

 probably drains it of a thousand men yearly; and the 

 women are left largely in excess — five to one man. Un- 

 der the Brazilian laws a laborer can not leave his employ- 

 er till his debts are canceled ; and the " patrons " manage 

 to keep the seringueiros perpetually in debt and bondage. 

 Another check to commercial enterprises is the high and 

 irregular tariff. The duty on imports varies from five to 

 eighty per cent. Ordinarily it may be reckoned at forty ; 

 but the same goods will enter at different rates, evidently 

 depending on the caprice of the official. Bribery is open- 

 ly practiced and expected. The duty on ready-made 

 clothing is determined by weight, and on shoes by the 

 length of the sole. The usual cost of exportation is sev- 

 enteen per cent. ; but the loss is much greater on certain 

 products, as cabinet woods. This practically discourages 

 labor by taxing it. Not $400 were collected at the cus- 

 tom-house on all the woods exported from Para in 1868-'9. 

 Brazil abounds with the most valuable timber in the world, 

 but is prevented from competing with other nations by this 

 system of self -strangulation. There are but three saw- 

 mills on the Amazons. A dozen boards of the common 

 wood of the country (cedar or itauba) cost $18 at Manaos. 



