The Irish standard., 1888-12-08

CAoUTCHoUC HUNTING.

CAOUTCHOUC HUNTING.
Row India Rubber Is Procured In
Costa RIGA. =,
A Hardy Race of Men Who Risk Their
Lives in Searching for tho Milky juice
The Habits, Dress and Out
fit OF Yularo.
The Yularoes, or rubber-hunters OF Costa
Rica, writes Philadelphia Record corre-
spondent, are the most irresponsible and ig-
norant of creatures, whose first object,
when out on an expedition, is to secure as
much caoutchouc as possible, and next to
damage the prospects Of other Yularoes,
regardless Of the future. A thrifty tree at
it's first cutting ought to yield not less than
fifty pounds of rubber, but the hunters OF
to-day find few so profitable, unless they
penetrate far into the virgin forests, and are
fortunate enough to discover an entirely
new district. In the sections already worked
most of the trees have been tapped several
times, and many Of them were spoiled at
the outset by having been cut too young be-
cause its greedy discoverer feared that u
the prize were left to attain perfection
another might secure it. Were the matter
regulated by judieious laws, so that only
nature trees might be tapped, and those
not to an extent 10 cause death, the produc
ton OF caoutchouc would soon be q source
of wealth to the republic The Costs
Rican Government begins to be alive to this
fact, and has recently offered extensive
grants of land to any who will devote them
selves to the culture Of rubber trees.
7 Among the inhabitants OF Central Amer
lea the Yularoes form distinct class,
by ali odds the lowest in the country, I'M
less it may be the Caribs OF Guatemala or
the pearl-diveY.3 Of the western coast.
They are mostly half breeds or negroes, for
white men seldom engage in it, though the
business might be made extremely profit
able. A Yularo can be distinguished at a
glance from natives Of other professions
as easily as cowboy in genSeei society, or
miller fresh from his mill, not only by his
general air of daredevil don'tcare-itive~
ness but by the thick coating of caoutchouo
that covers his clothing from head to foot.
This extra coating accumulates gradually
by contact with the rubber trees, without
intention Oh the part OK the wearer, and in
time renders his garments absolutely
waterproof and almost indesSructible.
The hunters are fitted out by the shrewd
traders of Parismina, much as American
miners used to be supplied with grub
stake' in their search for precious metals
Each Yularo is provided with gun, q
quantity of ammunition, beat and suf'
fcent supply CT salt, -four. and pork to
sustain him from two to six months. ALI
this is charged to his account at the highest
market price. and in return he stipulatas to
sell to this same accommodating dealer. at
some fixed sum per- pound, all the cauot-
chouc he may collect during his trip.
"A Journey to the woods may occupy weess
or months, according to the will OF the Yu-
laro, after which he returns 10 the village.
not to leave it again till the last cent Is
spent which he has earned, or can beg,
steal or borrow, aud all the credit exhausted
thas he can obtain by promises upon the
next expedition. It is not strange, how
ever, that they are reluctant to return 20
such dangerous exiles, for under every
leaf of tho tropical forest some venomons
creature is lurking, and eternal vigilance is
the price of safety. The hunters life is
little above that of the wild beasts, whose
howls make night hdeous around him, and
he is constantly exposed to thousand
perils, seen and unseen. Not only are there
hungry jaguars and pu1nas, wild boars anu
other powerful animals, but, nore to be-
dreaded are the deadly reptiles, some OF
them no longer than your hand. There arc
tiny lizards, the exact color OF the Leaves
under which they hide, whose bite is fatal;
innumerable bugs, beetles and insects.
many Of them more dangerous than the rsst-
tier Of our Northern wilds, which at least
gives some warning Of his intention to
strike, while, even more to be feared than
the monstrous crocodiles of the lagoons
and tho enormous serpents of hugging pro-
clivities, are the feyers that nightly stalk
abroad with the noxious vapor OF the terra
caliente.
Aside from the scant rations he brings,
the Yularo's food consists mainly OF wild
hogs, or snch other ANIMALS as ne may be
able to kill, eked out by tortillas, and, as an
occasional luxury, dish of red beans
stewea in fat. Monkeys are considered the
choicest of morceaux. particularly the
larger red species, which arc highly rel
ished by the hunters as are raccoons by
Southern darkies, or Thanksgiving turkeys
by New Englanders. ...
The Yularo has no other implement than
short rope Of cactus fiber, Of his own
twisting, and a huge machete-the latter q
rude sort of sword or knife which every
Central American who is engaged III any
out-of-door occupation carries upon all oc-
casions The hunter ties one end OF the
rope around his waist, throws the other
over the lower branches and scrauib les up
the tree, .machete in hand. Having reached
convenient limb he secures himself by
means OF the rope and proceeds to make an
incision in the tree. from INTELLECTUALLY
letting himself downward-he cuts deep
channel through the bark around the trunk
to the ground. In most cases the careless
fellow cuts much deeper than is necessary,
thereby running the future usefulness Of
the tree; for if pen-knife, or even pin,
be thrust into thrifty young tree the
"millx spurts out in oopious flow.
The yelowish-white juice resembles good,
rich cream more nearly than any thing else.
If the tree is fully grown and has never be-
fore been tapped the sap will flow from the
incislon in streams, and, running down the
channel, is received into a pit dug at the
roots. The fluid is generally coagulated
with the sap Of wild vine, somewhat re-
sembling the grape, which overgrows all
these tangled forests, and acts the part OF
rennet to cheese curds, or smother" pulque
to manguey Juice, for after its addition the