Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-10-08
MlisfkManedas Amifles.
PANAMA HATS.

"" w" """~V' "
PANAMA. HATS. J : .s,
HOW AND WHERE THE BEST ARE MADE.
Those who purchase for nine dollars, in
New York, the inferior hat of New Grenar
da and Maracaibo, which cost twelve dol
lars in gold the dozen land which could not
be sold in Brazil at any price,, are not
aware that the hats worn by Brazilian gen
tlemen, the we,lthy and even the middle
classes of the Spanish Main and the West
Indies, and by the aristocratic and rich
Frenchmen, cost originally from one hun.
dred dollars to six hundred dollars per do
zen in the country where they are made.
Six hundred dollars in gold for twelve hats,
however, is not the extreme price, for there
are hats which cost, in the valleys of the
Andes, eighty dollars in gold each. Such
hats last a man lifetime, while the "'Pa-
namas" which are usually sold at New
York, are worn out in one season-or three
at the utmost.
Well, ascend the Amazon with me two
thousand miles to Tabatinga, on the Bra
lillian frontier. We have gone through the
glories of the tropics on the skiing of Wa,
ters," which, up to this point, varies from
seven to two miles in width; and has fall
of only one inch to the mile; and now we
transfer ourselves to the Peruvian steamer,
which was built by the Penns in London,
and is sea steamer, and ascend the Upper
Amazon, and reach the great river Hual-
laga, up which we steam three hundred
miles further, until we are at Yurimaguas,
where we are in all more than three thou
sand miles from the Atlantic ocean. Here
we are indeed in the sublime wonders of
South America, where the lofty Andes, the
vast flowing river, and the superb vegeta-
ton of the tropics combine to produce on
the mind the profoundest impression. From
Yurimagua wejourney in covered piroques,
propelled by Quichua Indian rowers, for
nine days. Then we must travel five days
more afoot-over mountain paths where no
mule or other beasts of burden can 60, and
across swinging rope and vine bridges-un-
til we reach Moyabama, one ofthe two CEN
tres of the manufacturing and trade of the
best "Panama" hats. Moyabama is The
capital of that part of Peru known officially
as the "Fluvial department of Loreto,
which is bounded by the Peruvian depart
ments of the Amazon and Cerro de Pasco,
on the frontier of Brazil. This immense
territory has but fifty five thousand inhabi.
tants, ten thousand of whom are in Moya.
bama.
While they produce for expectation the
best tobacco for cigarettes in the world, SO
amateurs say, dried fish, turtle-egg butter
and vanilla (from two to five dollars the
pound), by far the greatest staple exports
are the hats. There abounds in the forest
small fan-palm tree, which never exceeds
ten feet in height. 1t is called bonbona1a
by the Peruvians, bonbonace by the Bra,
zilians. 1t is found in the interior of Peru.
Ecuador, New Grenada and Venezuela
usually away from the Pacific slope, and has
been cultivated with Indifferent success in
Brazil. The only place where it Aourishes
to great extent on the Pacific coast is in
the Equadorian province of Manavi, north
of Guayaquil. This is the other centre Of
the first quality "Panama hat trade and
manufacture, and the only rival of Moya:
bamba. The people of white descent and
the Indian half.breeds are the makers of the
hats in question. At Moyabamba each
man has his own house and lands. He cul.
tivateS q small quantity Of Indian corn,
pineapples, mandioca and sweet potatoes
for himself and family, and capim or Guinea
grass for his mule. No hats are made in
anything like that which we would call
ssfactory," but in each mans house.
The straw is thus prepared: The leaves
of the bonbonace are carefully gathered, SC
that the life of the tree is not in jeopardy
then the Indian slits the leaf with small
knife, his eye alone guiding the hand, SC
that the right size is obtained. You will
observe that all Panama hats have straw oi
different sizes. Nothing can bemore prim.
itive than all the appliances brought to bea,
in the production of the hat. The ''straw,
as the split leaf is now called, is placed in
the dew for three nights in succession, and
during the three intervening days in the
shade. This curls up the straw and gives
| it that firm, round appearance always to be
noticed in this kind of hat. The straw is
now ready for plating, which operation is
like that of all straw plating. The chill
dren make the coarser hats, the adults the
fine article. The platter begins with well
washed hands, and as he must constantly
wet his straw in pot of the purest fresh
water, his work is sure to come forth in the
cleanest possible condition:
When one, two or more hats are finished
the maker repairs to some store (either Ger
man, French or English to sell his work
He will never 60 to sell except at night
when it is easier to deceive as to color, de-
fects, etc. Sometimes clerk or agent o.
the Moyabamba stores will 60 from house
to house in the country, and if he can collect
dozen hats, it is considered good days
work. A hat which sells at the rate of 81
(gold) the dozen, requires one week to make
An eighty-dollar hat requires from four te
six months. Reference was made to the
makers going to town to sell only at night
They 20 in numbers, and resort to every
subterfuge to get large price, and to sell .
poor article for superior one. The skill
of the buyer is remarkable. He knows the