Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-28
THE ROMANCE OF CAMPHOR.
Soldiers Guarding the Camphor Co

Soldiers Guarding the Camphor Col
Iectors In the Wilds of Formosn.
The large island Of Formosa, of the
east coast Of China, fell to Japan a
few years ago as one Of the prizes Of
war. The island Is famous for two
products. The hill slopes to the west
grow some Of the finest teas in the
world, the Oolongs and other Formo-
san teas being highly esteemed in this
country where nearly the entire crop
Is consumed. The tree-clad mountains
Of the east contain the largest cam
phor forests In the world. Most Of the
camphor kept in our drug stores comes
from Formosa. Japan now produces
only about 100000 pounds a year; the
yield Of China has never exceeded 220,-
900 pounds year; but 100000 pounds
of camphor were taken from the for
ests Of Formosa in 1895, and in the past
four years the annual yield has aver
aged over 100000 pounds. Formosa
controls the camphor market Of the
world and will probably always be a
great source Of this valuable gum. For
sometime past the purchasers Of cam
phor have been compelled to pay more
for 1t than formerly. The two princi-
pal reasons for the increase in price
will be mentioned here: one Of them
Is especially interesting, for 1t illus
trates the difficulties and dangers that
environ the camphor industry
The mountains of east Formosa are
inhabited by savage tribes which are
the bane Of the island. Nearly half of
Formosa is still occupied by these
murderous men Of the forests, whose
weapons are turned against all for
eigners. The fertile plains Of the west,
filled with peaceful Chinese tillers Of
the soil, present very different as
pect. For many years 1t was almost
certain death for sailors to be wrecked
on the east coast of the island. II
they escaped the sea they were mur-
dered by the savages who were always
on the lookout for loot from vessels
driven upon the rocks of their inhos-
pitable coast. Explorers have not dar-
ed to venture into some portions of
these mountains which are still among
the least known parts of the world.
The savages are full Of cunning and
treachery. They are armed with bows
and arrows, knives and swords. They
are very dark and muscular and go
about quite naked, except for scanty
strip Of blue cloth about the waist. In
recent years many Of them have ac-
quired matchlocks and learned to use
them.
One day, a few years ago, a party of
English officers from a man-of-w
went up into the mountains and met a
party Of natives armed with match
locks. They challenged the natives to
trial Of skill in shooting. A target
was affixed to a tree about 300 feet
distant and the Englishmen made
what they considered pretty fair prac-
tice. The natives looked on without
any apparent establishment at the skill
Of their rivals. When 1t came their
turn to fire, every man Of them disap-
peared in the jungle. They crawled
on their stomachs to within about nine
feet Of the target and they blazed
away. OF course they all hit the tar
get in the center. When the English
men protested that this method of con-
Quoting the match was hardly fair, the
natives replied:
1--WE do not understand what you
mean by fair, but anyhow, that is the
way we shoot Cinnamon"
The men who collect most Of the
camphor of the world have to work
among these treacherous devils. They
are sent up into the mountains, pitch
their camps in the camphor forests
and depend upon their guns and their
vigilance to protect themselves from
savage enemies. But though their
wits are sharpened by the ever present
danger, whole parties Of them are
sometimes slaughtered. The history of
the camphor industry in Formosa has
many of these tragical incidents.
Though armed guards stand over the
men while they are telling the trees
and extracting the gum, they may be
attacked at any moment unless the
savages consider the force before them
to be too strong for them to overcome.
Great is the joy when they clean out
a camphor camp. All the camp equip
ment and supplies are the legitimate
spoils of war; so there Is profit as we'll
as glory in the murderous business.
The work Of getting the camphor down
into the plains Is even more dangerous
than collecting it. The paths are mar
row and the carriers, walking In long,
single file, can present no strong front
to the natives concealed along the
way. A strong escort, front and rear,
beating the bushes and scrub for the
foe who may be lurking there, Is al
ways necessary to insure safety.
When the Japanese became fairly
settled in the island last year they de-
termined to put an end, if possible, to
the dangers that beset the camphor In
dustry. AS a preliminary step they
detailed 1,5O0 soldiers to guard the cam
phor camps and convoy the parties
that carry the gum out Of the forests.
In these camps, scattered north and
south among the mountains for dis
tance of 14O miles, the men are work
ing today guarded by a part of the
Japanese army. Thus war and indus
| try are curiously combined in the is
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