REPORT ON THE CAOUTCHOUC OF COMMERCE. 31 
“ hulero, who, after many of such risks and much labour, arrives 
4< at the foot of a tree he had seen from afar, and discovers it is not 
“ what he seeks. Besides the qualities required in a hulero to 
cc enable him to find his way in an obscure forest, it is necessary 
“ for Mm to serve an apprenticeship to learn how to properly bleed 
e£ a tree ; that is to say, to extract as much milk as possible from 
te the tree without killing it. With respect to killing it, however, 
“ he is not at all particular. Near the towns, all the trees along 
“ the roadsides are marked by scars made by amateur f micros , and 
ec present strange, exaggerated forms. The forests are full of these 
<e attempts, by wMch, in ten years, the most beautiful trees within 
“ a circle of many leagues of the rancho of a would-be Indian 
ce hulero are frequently destroyed. It is to tills cause alone that 
ee the blighted appearance of tiie forests of the inhabited part of 
ee Nicaragua is due. The cut with the machete, to he successful, 
cc must penetrate at one blow through the bark without touching 
“ the wood, otherwise the tree is destroyed ; and from the difficulty 
fe of handling the machete, and the carelessness of the huleros , 
ee Caoutchouc trees are destroyed with fearful rapidity. The 
cc hulero, having collected his rubber, returns to the towns to 
“ dispose of it, where he is subject to great wrongs from the small 
“ traders, nearly universally a very low class. When the price 
“ has at last been agreed upon, the hulero finds that the greater 
« part is already owing for his outfit and spirit score, and frequently 
cc the trader does not part with him till the small balance is 
“ expended in debauchery and drink. Bull of revengeful feeling, 
cc the cheated, hardly - dealt- with hulero departs, and destroys all 
“ the trees he meets with on his road. The contract between a 
« party of huleros and an agent is made after quite a patriarchal 
cc fashion. They regard <3ach other seriously, strike hands, and 
« the bargain is completed. It is to the agent that application 
« is made to secure the active and armed resistance and aggression 
C£ of the huleros in case of a revolution. He generally succeeds in 
ce engaging them in the civil war by means of a good bounty, a 
“ Mgh rate of pay, a considerable equipment, and a more handsome 
« dress than that of the other soldiers ” 
Now, it can be easily seen from this, that such collection of 
forest products is precarious and objectionable in several ways. 
First, with regard to the collectors themselves. It is, as a rule, 
only when other means of employment are wanting that they take 
