246 
COLLECTION OF RUBBER. 
Several iie dic met been given of this; the fullest is As 
of Mr. Cross, who saw in practice the methods employ vant Bathe 
neighbourhood o of Pars. His description (p. 4) is as follow 
“The collectors begin to work iacu p daybreak, or or as 
soon as they can see to move about among the They say 
I do not attach much importance to this statement, but I have 
recorded it. Another and more probable reason is that as rain 
. often falls big nn two or three o'clock in the afternoon the 
tapping must be done early, as in the event of a shower the 
milk w jila. w spattered about and lost. The collector, first of 
nd and la 
all, at the beginning of the dry season goes roun ays at 
the base of each tree a certain cone of small cups of burnt 
clay. At the lesser trees only three or four are put, but at the 
larger ones from eight to twelve are i eposited, The footpaths 
leading from tree to tree are likewise cleared of sapling growths, 
and the bridges over the gopa (natural een formed at each 
place by the trunk of a tree, are, where necessary, replaced. On 
RAS to his work ud collector bna: with him a small axe 
or tapping, and a wicker basket containing a good-sized ball of 
 well-wrought clay. He usually [hn likewise a bag for the eei 
droppings, and for what may adhere to the bottoms of the c 
These promiscuous gatherings are termed sernamby, and fait 
the *negrohead' of the English market. The cups, as NY 
stated, are of burnt clay, a: are sometimes round, mo 
frequently a or perd concave on one side, so as p^ sti ck 
sily with a small portion of ay pressed Rare the trunk of 
the tree. The paret of fifteen cups make one English Imperial 
always goes through the k, and penetrates an inch more 
into the eut is an inch in breadth. Frequently a 
small portion of bark breaks off the r si an 
AT a thin splinter of wood is also raised. n: p 
st e di down he takes a cup, ae aw ting on a small quantity 
of clay on the flat side, presses to the trunk close Danes 
the iit BY this time the milk, which is of dazzling whiteness, 
is beginning to exude, so that if Aperi he 80 smooths the clay 
that it may trickle direct into the cup. At a distance of four 
or five inches, but at the same height, aei cup is luted on, 
and so the process is continued until a row of cups encircle the 
und, Tree after 
eat o e 
performance of these dtr: Some take care to get good clay 
previously, and incorporate it well, so that a very — portion 
to lute the cup to the trunk. They also work with 
eatness and intelligence, and invariably collect a soon mnt 
of milk. Others, again, do not take the trouble to prepare clay 
