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strongly, several handfuls of nuts are put on, then some more wood and 

 nuts alternately. These are dropped in at the mouth of the jar until it 

 is filled to within four inches of the top. Due care is taken that a suffi- 

 cient proportion of wood is put in with the nuts. The mould on which 

 the rubber is prepared resembles the paddle of a canoe, in fact, at many 

 places on the Amazon this is the article most frequently used if there is 

 much milk, and when the rubber is prepared in bulky masses. Occa- 

 sionally the mould is slung to the roof, as the weight in handling it 

 during the process would otherwise be very fatiguing. A little soft clay 

 is rubbed over it to prevent the rubber from adhering, and it is after- 

 wards well warmed in the smoke. The operator holds the mould in one 

 hand, while with the other he takes a small cup and pours two or three 

 cups of milk over it. He turns it on edge for a few moments above the 

 dish until the drops fall, then quickly places the flat side two inches above 

 the jar mouth, and moves it swiftly round as if describing the form of a 

 cipher, with his hand, so that the current of smoke may be equally dis- 

 tributed. The opposite side of the mould is treated in the same way. 

 The coatings of milk on the mould on being held over the smoke imme- 

 diately assume a yellowish tinge, and although it appears to be firm on 

 being touched, it is found to be soft and juicy, like newly curdled 

 cheese, and sweating water profusely. When layer after layer has been 

 repeated, and the mass is of sufficient thickness, it is laid down on a 

 board to solidify, and in the morning cut open along the edge on one 

 side and the mould taken out. Biscuit rubber when fresh, is often four 

 or five inches thick. On being hung up to dry for a few days, it is sent 

 to market. "When I saw the process of smoking the rubber performed, 

 as just described, I was considering the statements of Keller, and other 

 travellers who write on this subject, all of whom seem to believe that 

 the smoke from the palm nuts possesses some peculiar or strange pro- 

 perty by which means the milk instantly coagulates. But on one occa- 

 sion' when the collector was commencing to smoke some milk, I saw 

 him wait for a short time, during which he put his hand repeatedly to 

 the mouth of the jar, and soon learned that he could do nothing until the 

 smoke was hot. The dense white smoke rose abundantly, but the milk 

 would not thicken on the mould. After a little while the jar became heated 

 and the operation went on quite satisfactorily. I put my hand to the 

 mouth of the jar, but could bear the heat scarcely a second, and 

 although the temperature of the smoke was apparently less than boiling 

 water, yet I judge it must A have been at least 180° Fahrenheit. There- 

 fore the rapid coagulation of the milk is simply produced by the high 

 temperature of the smoke. I have no doubt that with a strong current 

 of heated air, or a good pressure of steam from a pipe, a similar result 

 would be obtained. The finely divided particles of soot which forms a por- 

 tion of the smoke undoubtedly absorb a considerable amount of moisture 

 although at the same time it must be looked on as an impurity, I have 

 no hesitation in giving my opinion that equally as good rubber could be 

 prepared by putting the milk in shallow vessels, and evaporating the 

 watery particles by the heat of boiling water." 



Another account is, that, " Small cups are attached to the trees, and, 

 when filled with juice, are emptied into tin pails of a certain size, 

 having close fitting lids, the cups being again attached to the trees. 

 After going the round of the trees, the contents of this pail are emptied 



