oe EAR 
Se ee ee Eee 
251 
establish the ‘camp,’ and to Hock it with food and jmplomante in- 
dispensable to the men; also find a pasturage for the animals 
employed, and a supply of fodder ze augment the ede oh EE food that 
is yielded by the forest. Through failing to take this Legon the 
best troops of mules will be aveg in a few months, a 
of sick animals will be considerable, to ay nothing of the difficulties 
which will follow from this false econom 
“A s the cutters have arrived in the camp, each takes a 
different direction, thus endeavouring to secure an advantageous cutting 
position, from which, when found, he does his utmost to keep his 
companio ns. 
ae. weighing of the pulled on should be done every fort- 
night, as the men are furnished on credit at the ‘barracão, and it is 
well to “settle their accounts by Aaa Fiss their work fortnightly, or so. 
“The average cut of one man di may be estimated at three 
e 
: l unbo 
amount of his credit should be based on “this quantity. It must be 
borne in mind that Bie fren are not only great hunters, so wasting 
a day from time to time in the pursuit of game, but they are lazy, and 
could they obtain aito a Hen on credit, they would not scruple 
to abuse such credit on all occasio 
“Though I have estimated the daily work of one man at three arrobas, 
an inexperienced hand is often unable to clear more than one or two; 
while, on the other atid, a very hard worker has been known to clear 
as much as Six arrobas i in one day. It is customary to weigh the fibre 
Piassava ee weighed is much more favourable to fraud than that 
weighed unbound. 
“It may ce useful to note here that the cost of binding up the 
cabecas i is 2 reis a-piece (1,000 reis = 
“ As limited above, the cutters always do their best to defraud the 
principals or buyers. They smuggle stones ipl pieces of palm inside 
the mondongas (i.e. parcels supposed to h 60 kilos. or 1321 
ready for weighing); they spread the fibre a A the ground, leaving 
it a long time exposed to the rain; and, finally, their shanties being 
ile built by the side of running water, they think nothing of ree: 
he ‘cabecas’ in these streams ‘end on,’ so that is ey may be i 
nated with the fine sand brought down by the ¢ cur rrent. Asa‘ set off’ ? 
fazenda by t he main track is cleared at the expense of the 
Seperate The ma cutters are obliged to have their fibre 
T or b 
pressed into P bales = a packing press r by han via:—the molho and the 
molho is pressed by hand, i tains three or five cabegas, 
sind is hoa in ies. seven, or nine wee The charge for making 
these up is 200 reis (53d.). ih 
