The Opelousas courier., 1893-03-04
n THE HEART OF BRAZIL
m.rprpTIoN OF 4 TYPICAL IN
nTA RUBBER CAMP.
sorrce of Profit to Many, But the
Poor Indian Gets practically
Nothfng for His Perilous Labor.

~ 1dSC1G 4oSAH - Ns1Af@ Os w S4A
says: Being in any Of
Amazonian towns, where every
.1;ro reeks of india rubber-where it is
4. one ~engrossing industry of the
saonte. the one topic of conversation,
~ oae thing constantly seen, smelled
nd fasted-you are sure to be seized by
sbe spirit Of discovery, sooner or later,
~ 3 burning desire to turn hunter
-.,,rself ana become q h~abitante, if for
,ssr so brief a period, of a genuine
-,,Sber camp in the wilderness. And
aotbinp IS easier than to crafty thst
1s,dabIe ambition, especially if you are
.ss.Eenn with it at Manaos-a thousand
niles M the mighty river, in the heart
u IL greatest rubber producing section
n our case it was particularly easy,
T., o,,r host is a rubber merchant (as are
.rost Of the substantial citizens of the
niaca1. who keeps from fifty to n
hundred Indians constantly employed as
Collectors. under the leadership of a
ncantain.n or head collector, of their
own choosing.
The following facts. stated briefly as
nossible, are a summary of the informs
finn ge have picked up in Brazil, from
aiyers sources, relative to the rubber
trade. Like other industries in various
s,ayts Of the world, it appears to be con.
rolled by capital on the Scriptural plan
Il ssto him that hath shall be given,n
.uhile the actual toilers are very poorly
Maid for their labor. Hereabouts it ia
customary for g wealthy man to obtain {
Grant of land of greater or less extent,
according to his political influence and
financial powers of persuasion, with the
exclusive right of gathering rubber
thereon for a stated number OF years.
The entire river trade of the Amazon is
run on the credit system. The rubber
hunters, who are mostly Indians, are
fitted out by their employers much as
American miners usedeto be supplied
with ngrub stake in their search for
precicus metals. Each hunter, before
be sets forth on a fresh journey. is pro-
vided with a gun, a quantity Of ammu-
milton, blanket, hammock, and enough
provisions to sustain him from two to
SIX months, all of which is charged to
his account at the highest market price,
and il return he stipulates to sell to this
same accommodating dealer, at some
fxed sum per pound, all the rubber he
may collect during his trip, after paying
what he owes for the outfit.
But he seldom gets the debt paid up,
and, according to the laws OF Brazil, as
long as he owes a penny the man to
whom he is indebted can claim him for
work, holidays and all, in a bondage
akin to slavery. They are engaged IN
the first place for a term of years, and
the majority of hunters, in consequences
of their debts and propensity to drink
up all available cash in the form OF
chicha, are practically released
from the contract.
The employers, IN their turn, are
bound to be in debt to the small traders
in the river towns, to whom they sell the
rubber. They pay absur5ly high prices
for inferior goods and get little for the
product Of the enterprise as compared to
the price of rubber when it gets out OF
the clutches Of the ssmiddle-men, while
those who do ali the actual work and
endure the risks and hardships get next
to nothing. The small trader, likewise,
IS in debt to the. wholesale dealer IN
Para; and. the wholesaler is even 9
deeply indebted to the New York, Baltl<
more or London firm which furnishes
him with supplies and finally secures the
rubber. Somebody makes heavy profits
out Of every transaction, but it IS not
the poor indians upon whose courage
and powers of endurance all depends, nor
yet the smaller traders.
The annual expectation OF India rub
Der from Para is said to be upward OF
90, 0O0. 900 pounds, worth from 20, 00O,-
900 to SO, O00, 900. Inc rubber tree OF
Brazil (siphonia elastica, q near relative
if the fcus e~lastIca Of the East Indies
and the urceola elastica Of Asial Is
really ! Qiantspecies Of milkwsed. It be-
gins tc yield when about fifteen years
Old. and the Government has repeatedly
suggested plans for cultivating It BY
planting large areas with trees ana con
Quoting the business like that OF coffee
and sugar plantations. But Brazllia1s
seem to be peculiarly devoid Of fne
power to take "a long look ahead" q
60 far nobody has been found Wiling 70
wait fifteen years for the first returns on
an Investment.
Hereabouts the rubber hunters are
called siringuerios, as in Central Amer
lea they are known as Yularoes. They
usually 60 out in small parties, having
chosen one of their own number as ssCap-
tain and as soon as tile rubber swamps
are reached they selact q suitable spot
for the base of operations and proceed to
construct d rude camp, which serves a.
the general rendezvous. They then wan
der off. s1ngly and in couples, searching
ali day for new trees and returning to
headquarters at nlghtfall. The sscamp'
consists of 4 central hut, built on silt
ike supports to elevate it above the ma
Iaria haunted norass in which rubbeI
trees most abound, with palm thatcned
roof, projecting all around like that Of
Swiss chalet.
There are neither windows nor door
to this rude home, nor any interior
furnishings except hooks upon which
hanmocks may be suspended when rains
drive their owners inside. Ordinarily
sail outdoors serves well for . kitchen,
and the men prefer TO suspend their
sleeping paraphernaIia from che trees
around the central fire, built for the
triple purpose Of frightening aWaJ