CINCHONALS. 503 
which were wound round its branches, supporting it as if wrapped 
in a shroud. When, at last, the tree falls, the outer bark is 
gathered by means of a wooden mallet, or the back of an axe. 
The part thus stripped is then brushed, and divided through- 
out by uniform incisions. e bark is separated from the 
trunk by means of a knife, with the point of which the surface of 
the wood is raised. The bark of the branches is separated much 
as that of the trunk. The details of dressing the bark vary a little 
in the two cases; in fact, the thinner plates of the bark of the 
branches, which make the rolled quinine, called canuto, are merely 
exposed to the sun, when they take of themselves the desired form, 
which is that of a hollow cylinder; but those which are the pro- 
duce of the trunk, and constitute the ordinary bark, which is 
called tabla, are subjected during the drying process to great 
pressure, without which they would take the shape of the others. 
After their first exposure to the sun, the squares are disposed one 
on the top of the other, just like the planks of deal in a timber- 
yard, and are kept level by means of heavy weights laid on 
the pile. The next day the squares of bark are put back again 
in the sun for a short while, then back again into the press, and 
soon. In this state they are left at last. 
“But the work of the cascarillero is not nearly finished, even when 
the preparation of the bark is over; his spoil has to be conveyed 
to the camp. With a heavy load upon his shoulder, he has to 
retrace the intricate paths that he traversed with difficulty with- 
out his burden. I have seen more, than one district where the | 
bark had to be carried through the wood during fifteen or twenty _ 
days—it is difficult to conceive how such Jabour can be properly - 
remunerated. ; 
“The care of cine the bark, which devolves upon the over- 
seer, is no: unimportant part of the labour. He arranges the 
different loads, as the cutters bring them into the camp, in parcels, 
which are sewn up in woollen canvas packing.” 
. In this condition the bales are transported on oe backs of men, 
dana: or mules, to the town depéts, where they are packed in 
copper, in which state they acquire a great solidity. When 
dry they are called swrows, and in this condition they reach 
Europe. Plate XVI., copied from Mr. Weddell’s work, represents 
