RUBBER IN THE STATE OF AMAZONAS. 
General Ideas about the State. Progress in the Means of Trans- 
portation. Climatological Conditions. 
The State of the Amazonas is the largest one in the Brazilian 
Republic. Notwithstanding its well-known natural resources that 
are not limited, according to many persons, to the precious milk 
of the rubber tree—that wonderful tree of fortune—which is dis- 
puted by various producing centers, its vast territory is yet far 
from being completely and properly populated. 
The emigration currents towards that section have started 
lately, so that the population of hardly over two hundred thou- 
sand souls a few years ago, to-day is over six hundred thousand 
inhabitants, without any exaggeration. 
As such changes are taking place the conditions of life are 
being altered every day. It is true that there still prevails in 
the books of gay tourists who consider humbug as a condition 
of inexhaustible success, the impression that the native indians 
travel about half nude and armed with arches and arrows, chasing 
the lost Europeans through such outlandish regions of the world. 
The remark, however, is not based on real facts. The native 
Indians are not now to be found in very accessible places. The 
foreigner who lands in the Amazonas capital, for instance, may 
be sure that his habits and his civilization will not cause any 
fright. 
It is difficult to find among the natives who possess some 
education and means one who has not been through several 
European countries, especially France; so that as soon as the 
visitor lands he notices an atmosphere of modern improvements 
and all the novelty and gay spirit of Parisian life; the latest 
fashions are found at once in Manaos. 
The progress of that beautiful princess of the Rio Negro 
(Black River) is most remarkable, because it is at the most only 
twenty years. Until the proclamation of the Republic in Brazil, 
Manaos amounted to almost nothing. From 1889 to this date 
began its stupendous development, counting already over 60,000 
inhabitants. 
To-day it has comfortable homes, good and solid buildings 
of artistic architecture. Its port is perfectly fitted to receive 
the visits of the large transatlantic steamers, which places it 
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