ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 
•43 
arrangements of gangs of men, and the pay for tapping and coagulating. 
The favorite method undoubtedly will be to give each native a certain 
stint, measured by the amount of latex that he brings in. I got a number 
of estimates as to the cost of tapping and coagulating, based on actual 
work, and in no case was it more than ten cents a pound, Mexican. 
Another thing that the planters plan to do is to produce clean, dry 
rubber, and there is no reason why they should not accomplish it. Of 
the various means of coagulating that are devised by experts, the one that 
seems to appeal the most strongly to the practical planter on the Isthmus, 
is the use of the juice of the “amole” vine, the Ipomoea Bona nox, which 
is most abundant everywhere, and which apparently adds nothing to the 
rubber, and effects a quick and clean coagulation. 
After coffee at the Sanchez abode, we returned to Minatitlan, retired 
early and at three o’clock the next morning were awakened by Mr. 
Luther, escorted to the launch, bidden a hearty, good-bye and were on 
our way to Coatzacoalcos, to take the morning train for Tehuantepec. 
We had planned to take a river steamer, the Dos Rios, and visit the 
plantations far up the river, of which there are a lot, but a snag having 
punched a hole in the boat’s bottom, it was forced to tie up for repairs, 
thus disarranging our plans. We therefore decided to go at once to the 
Pacific side, and “dry out” and rest, and so it happened that at nine 
in the morning we were again on the train, this time bound west. 
