29 
but a European could not at present devote himself to — 
and systematically working the substance n: to the bad s 
of communication in the Fist of the co 
During the journey from the forest to Fort Dauphin, the 
caoutchouc carried on the back, in loads of 65 lbs., loses from the 
heat of the sun a certain part of its weight. At the present 
i 
on board the vessel in the Fort Dauphin Road. From Fort 
Dauphin Harbour alone there were exported in— 
1896 ies ses .. 167,857 kilos. (369,985 lbs.) 
1897 e: wwe wer 55222 —., (141,288 , ) 
the province of Majunga, the india-rubber is one of the 
artiola of export which occupy the largest place in the local 
A mer d = importance increases each day. The rubber at 
o ena comes from Morarano for the most part, from the bay o 
Mahaj . from Namakia, Soalala, Marambitsy, and especially 
Peme and Morondava. Generally the rubbers from the west 
coast are produced from “ vines,” which the natives incise without 
any care, cutting even the roots in order to obtain the largest 
amount of sap. The most sought after is the * pink rubber," but 
one also finds the * aetidddo. ” « godroa " and * vea." In the north 
uth, 
contrary, it is coagulated with salt only. The value er e ped 
in commerce is inferior to that of the north. 
Rubber prepared with sulphuric acid is worth at the moment 
from 350 fcs. to 360 per 100 hrs m lbs.) whilst other rubbers 
hardly fetch 300 fes. per 100 k 
' There were exported— 
From Majunga, in 1896, 19,445 kilos. ; in 1897, 41,448 kilos. 
From Nossi Bé, in 1896, 11,340 kilos.; in 1897, 40,766 kilos. 
From Nossi Vé, in 1896, 122,313 kilos.; in 1897, 122,129 kilos. 
As soon as roads become more numerous in Madagascar, the 
colonists who wish to devote themselves to a rational cultivation 
and working of rubber will obtain good results; but they must 
act with judgment, "x not take from the plant more latex than it 
can reasonably produc 
The botanical ner of the Madagascar rubber-yielding en 
is obscure. It is much to be regretted that the French botani 
do not investigate it and clear it up. 
M. Henri — has devoted a chapter to the subject in his 
* Les Plantes Caoutchouc et à Gutta dans les Colonies 
iret tapas © pp. ^04 116 ipo pue Of the ** vines " he states that the 
valuable is the Vahy (Landolphia ne oe 
voci of the mites name are no doubt the Vahea and V. 
tioned above, It appears to yield “ pink rubber,” 
