'mm 
that did not protect my herd, and we arrived at the hotel looking 
like drowned rets. 
Bill telephoned Dr. Coenreed, who invited us over to his 
house for tea, and as soon as got dried out a bit, we went. We 
found both the Coenraads very charming and hospitable. He was 
most encouraging about the prospects of our getting our permits 
and our animals. She is an expert photographer, ana she and 
Williams were soon deep in technical camera discussions, we came 
back to the hotel about eight o'clock, had a gooa dinner, wrote 
some letters, and wit to bed. Our rooms are like tne ones at 
the DeBoer - apparently the sun-porch sitting room or verandah 
is the customary accompaniment of a hotel room - only a ixzzLe 
smaller. We have the same screened alcove for the beds, ana tne 
nights are cool enough to make a blanket seem very comfortable 
indeed. 
March 5 • 
Early in the morning we went back to the Coenraads' house, 
and saw the animals which he now has on hand. He has a tame oreng, 
which rides a bicycle, drinks lemonade through a .straw, eats at 
a table, and dislikes Mrs. Coenraad. Then we went over to look at 
an abandoned hospital, and found that it would be an ideal place 
for our hfiadauarters, if we can rent it. There are five bearooms, 
for Siantar. 
We had lunch with the Coenraads, and then came home, to 
sleep and write until tea time. At five Dr. Coenra d celled for 
us again, and took us to see the little municipal Zoo wmch he is 
starting here. It is in a very pretty location, with a nice 
hillside, and a little stream running through. iUl that is linisnea 
now is the aviary, but it is very attractive, with giass-l rented 
cages, EKsi lots of flowering plants in each cage, end _ a _ vine-covered 
pergola along the front to darken the area over the visitors' heads 
and cut down the reflection in the glass. 
March 6 
Mr. Ingle called for us at the hotel at eight-thirty, 
end we drove the fifteen miles to Dolok Merangir. There we met 
Mr. Schoaff, who spent the morning showing us over the plantation. 
There are 500,000 trees planted in 15,700 acres. We went first 
through the fectorv, saw how the latex is coagulated with formic 
acid, pressed out into flat sheets, and smoked. Then we went over 
the elentetion, and saw the men tapping the trees, and catcning the 
latex in cups. Each coolie taps four hundred trees in a morning. 
By the time' he has finished tapping he goes back to the first tree 
and collects the latex that has flowed, and brings the result of 
his work to one of the many collecting stations. There it is 
weighed, poured into a big tank, and the cans are washed, The 
scrapings from the cups, the strips of rubber formed by the natural 
coagulation of yesterday's tapping, and the rinsing of the big cans, 
are all saved, and used for low-grade rubber. Most of the planta- 
tion consists of bud-graft trees, which produce twice as much 
rubber as isfcsx seedlings, that is, about 1000 pounds to the acre 
