76 TlMEHRl. 
fell ten to fifteen trees a day, the greater number of 
which are allowed to decay. 
It should always be remembered by collectors that as 
the milk is confined to the bark, none whatever being- 
contained in the wood, nothing will be gained by cut- 
ting deeply ; and, on the other hand that, if this be 
practised, permanent injury will follow, resulting in the 
tree becoming practically barren of milk, its essential 
death. If the work be done with intelligence and care, 
and the inner bark which exists in readiness to replace 
the outer bark and to repair injuries be not damaged, 
the incisions will soon heal, being but scars instead of 
ugly dilapidated fissures such as result from the care- 
less method now followed. 
The coagulation and first process of drying is effected 
by exposing the juice to the influence of the smoke of 
fires made of palm-nuts, and its complete induration 
by exposure to the air. After the milk has been col- 
lected, a fire is made of the fruit of one or two palms 
Attalea speciosa and A. excelsa, over which a sort of 
funnel is placed to keep the smoke concentrated ; wooden 
hand-shaped bats are then taken, and having been 
slightly covered with fine clay, are clipped in the juice, 
and then held in the smoke till it has set, when the bat 
is again dipped ; the process being repeated till the layers 
are an inch thick. The layer thus gradually formed is 
then slit down one side, removed, and hung up to dry 
and harden. The scrapings from the vessels, with clean- 
ings from the cups and the scrapings from the incisions 
of the trees where some has trickled down and dried, is 
worked into balls, and forms the negro-head of the trade. 
