A MONOGRAPH UPON PARA RUBBER 
HISTORICAL NOTES ABOUT PARA RUBBER 
It is in Our diaries of the voyage of the Genovese Columbus, 
that among the important occurrences of that notable crossing 
ofthe. ocean, which gave him immortality, appeared. the: first 
references, made by Herrera, to the quality of a certain gum 
utilized by the aborigines. 
In 1536 Gongalvo Fernandes d’Oviedo in his “Universal 
History of the Indies,” published in Madrid, also mentioned the 
uses which"\the indigenous tribes of North America miade of 
rubber: skins in their amusements. 
wikhe , Jesuit Charlevoix also refers to it and more fully. yet 
does. John Torquemada who in his “Indian Monarchy,” ex- 
presses himself thus: “There is a tree in this country (Mexico) 
known to the natives as ulequahuitl, to whom it is of the greatest 
value. This tree grows in the warm or torrid zone; and pre- 
sents itself of a medium height with rounded leaves of an ashy 
color,, It furnishes in abundance a species of glutinous white 
liquid like milk, which makes it of great utility to them. 
“The milk of the ulequahuitl is obtained by beating the tree 
with ‘a small hatchet. The liquid is then seen to ooze out from 
the incision made like blood from a wound. The natives gather 
it into dry hollow gourds of various sizes. It gradually takes 
consistency in these receptacles, until it turns into a gummy 
mass, from: which it is easy to adapt it to any form which may 
be required. 
“Those who have no gourds, besmear their bodies with the 
liquid substance, as it flows out from the tree; which in drying 
forms itself into a species of membrane, which is easily taken 
off and whose thickness varies according to the coating spread 
over the skin. Skins very much appreciated for their elasticity 
are made with this ulli. The ulli solidified serves for shields, 
which thus are proof against the sharpest-pointed arrows, owing 
without doubt to the pliability of the material, which does not 
affect its tenacity. 
“Kings and nobles habitually use shoes made of ulli. The 
Spaniards of Mexico, moreover, impregnate their capes with 
ulli, so as to make them water-proof, because it is proved that 
such substance resists water in a marvelous manner, but melts’ 
before the action of the sun.” 
