The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-24
RUBBER TRADE IN VENEZUELA.
Its Culture Engaged in on n Large
Sg,nIc nv individuals.

rather large scale. he says ne thinks tltL
rubber will in the future form a large eX-
port staple, which shows that Venezuela
can diversity its agriculture.
The resources of this country are vast
and almost undeveIoped in the interior
says AIr. GoIdschmidC -Ciudad Bolivar
the commercial centre on the Orinoco, is
already exporting considerable quantities
of rubber. as well as baIata. etc, and Will
in the near future be one Of the chief
markets for this commodity"
Mr.. GOldsChmidt sends TO the State De-
partment the following from the 'Nene-
zuela Herald on the subject:
The region Of the Upper OTinoco, lying
between the River OrinOCo. the Casiqui-
are, the Guiana, and the AtabapO, forms
a plateau of sayaunas and forests 40 to
$50 feet above the level of the sea The
southern part of this plateau IS drained
by the Amazon and the northern part by
the Orinoco.
The Amazon, as is well known. is the
largest storehouse of caoutchouc in the
world. OF the ~, 253, 600 pounds Of caOUt-
chOuc produced in the year IS99-190o, more
than 50, Us. 900 pounds came from the ANA
ION The CaoutchOuc is of the finest and
commands the highest price
Tt is on the shores Of the Amazon and
its numerous affIuents that the caout-
ChOuC trees are exploited, and among the
affiuents is the Rio Negro, which takes
its use in Colombia and serves as bOun-
dairy between that country and Venezuela
for upward of thirty leagues before en-
teTing Brazil The banks Of the Vene-
zueIan Rio Negro and of the CasiquiaTe
tan affiuent of the Rio Negro contain nJ-
merous areas where caoutchouc trees are
found in large numbers. The trees are Of
I II.
milk, which is collected and is transform
ed by coagulating with smoke into balls
OF caoutchouc weighing about a pounds
each
This wealth of caoutchous trees con-
tinues along the banks of the Orinoco.
especially as far as the mouths Of Ken
tuario- The trees are found in groups
which are farther and farther apart as
yve descend in 0rinoco. The trees are
/ scattered about in families in forests com
( posed Of many other precious woods. The
1 workmen in order to exploit the Caout-
/ chOuc, make tracks or entrances starting
! from the bank and going into the forest:
! they find 100 to 80 and sometimes 200 trees
/ per track It is rare for track TO ex-
! tend more than l kiIemetre. The planta-
/ ton. which extends from the branch of
| the CasiqUiare to the mouth of the Ken
/ bank, has an area Of $50, $50 acres, and
! contains more than half a million caout-
/ chouc trees They are found in greater
/ number on the right bank The crop is
/ gathered carefully. so that they are well
4 preserved and yield each year.
( The immense plateau Of the Upper
/ OTinocO, where the missions were for
/ merry situated, is Isolated by the rapids
( Navigation on the Orinoco is easy from
/ its mouth TO AtUres, where the rapids,
/ scattered over about 1864 miles, can be
! ascended only by light canoes Beyond
! Atures. covering about I9.32 miles, are the
! rapids Of Garcita, BaIO PiIado, and Qua
] hibos: the first two are at all times navi-
/ gable. but the last, owing to the power
/ OF the current along the narrow channel
! can be assembled only during six months
( Of the year, and then only by canoes
! drawn by ropes; a little farther up we
/ encounter the rapids Of Maipures. which
/ do not measure less than miles and are
! altogether impossible.
! From the mouth of the Kentuario at
/ which the Casiquiare branches, no fur
I Their obstacle is to be found
"On the side of the Rio Negro, the rap
/ ids of the region Of San Gabriel are the
! counterpart of Atures and Maipures in
/ the OrinOco, but offer fewer difficulties
/ They can be assembled by steamships, If
/ towed with rope at certainu points
! The difficulty Of communication Will be
/ overcome by installing overland routes
along the Orinoco rapids, and by lines Of
/ native boats of 10 to % tons over the
rapids of the Rio Negro.
When once communication has been
! established it Will be easy and safe TO ex-
plot the caoutchouc Iahds Of the ORR
nOco 8s those of the Casiquiare-
Two enterprises working In harmony
one on the Casiquaire and the other on
the Orinoco-couId assist each other in
their means Of communication and re-
victualing- The difficulties OF the rapids
OF the OTinocO and the Rio Negro are as
nothing compared with those OF San An
tonic IN the River Madeira, and neverthe-
less. hourIshing plantations exist in Bo-
Ivia above this region Of rapids, which
covers nearly 800 kilometers.
All the trade between Brazil and Vene-
zuela passes by the. Rio Negro, and the
market at Manaos is properly stocked
The Iaborers in the southern rivers Of
( Brazil work during six months Of the
year, and collect so kilograms Of caout-
/ chouc which is paid for partly in goods
and provisions and partly in money
The caoutchouc is bought by the kil0-
( gram and therefore it matters little how
much time the workmen spend in collect
ing it. only it would be necessary to have
double the number Of hands on the Rio
Negro as on the southern rivers to obtain
a ike production
on the OrinocO. in 1888. the caoUtchoUc
was paid for at the rate of TO francs
the kilogram: but the greater part was
paid in merchandise, on which large prof
its are gained
There are caoUtchouc enterprises in
Brazil which export G6I, $50 SS0s40. and
1.1g2,30J pounds annually II the business
is well managed, the clearance should be
10 per cent The capital invested con
sists of the cost of the property, Of build
iugs the material employed, and general
current expenses The rest -of the money
invested. which Of. course viii be an i'm
portant sum. is a rolling capital which
every year goes out and comes back in
the purchase Of provisions. etc. which are
distributed on the spot. and in return for
which the caoutchouc is received.
In Brazil. the expenses of exploitation
are 20 to . per cent ad vaiOrem, accord
ing as il il shipped from IlaHaos CT from
Belem de- PaTia. In Venezuela. there is a
fixed duty Of So cents per 22g46 pounds.
The high export duty in Brazil has given
rise to large explorations in Bolivia and
Peru. whore only to 10 per cent ud vaIa-
! rem j. paid
The product is divided into three
/ Cl2sSeS-fine, moderate, and cemanby. In
should be fine and the other third be Oh
/ vided between moderate and cernauby.
I When the fine is worth S2.22 the m0der-
ate should be worth S224 and Sl-5i to