The Monticellonian., 1915-03-04

IS eHoFInouS- Tn the nrSt place, IHe distance is very great and the river is full of rapids. necessitating long over land portages; all provisions have to be brought up, and the crude product has to be taken back down; there is always great loss both ways from theft and wreckage, and as there is no regular system of navigation be- yend the mouth of the Apure, the diff culties encountered in securing boats and crews are tremendous.
 The headquarters of the Orinoco rubber gatherers is San Fernando de Atabapo, containing about 100 huts, which is the only settlement above the Cataract of Maipures. In Febru- ary the town was almost deserted. In May it was full of life Numbers of people were arriving daily; there was dancing and gaming, eating and drink ing, day and night, and many man spent his entire seasons earnings in a few evenings. The sight was not unlike that formerly seen in the west ern mining camps of our own country. Representatives of the big houses in Ciudad Bolivar, which had made ad- vances to the coneessioners, were there to see that they received all the rubber collected by their debtors. The governor of the departmen. (Alto Orinoeo) made his home farther down the river, on the Rio Cataniapo, near the Rapids of Atures
 On the Machado the rubber camps are not abandoned during the rainy season but as the floods advance stand isolated above the muddy water, crowded with their human inhabit- ants, chickens, pigs and dogs. Many of the houses are built on piles. and the water comes up until it touches the floor. Cooking and washing are done on the front porch and canoes are tied to the posts in readiness for instant flight if necessary, or to use in gathering wood or visiting the neighbors Behind the huts, banana palms bend and bow gracefully as the current tugs at their bases, and few vultures are usually perched on the roof
 Happy. Busy People.
 The whole presents a scene of de vastation, but the people seem per feetly happy If there is any high country within reach. the men may cut timber and collect copaiba oil or hunt for various kinds of gums. The gathering of Brazil nuts forms one of the chief occupations, and thousands of tons are brought down the various rivers annually. Canoes are hollowed out, palm leaves and poles for new huts are brought in, and everything is made shipshape so that there may be no delay in beginning the rubber sea son when the water recedes. There are invariably few men in each camp who are famed for their prow ess with gun and harpoon, and it has been my pleasure on several occasions to accompany these nimrods of the tropical jungles on their long rambles in search of meat.
 At Calama on the Madeira, just op- posite the mouth of the Machado, are located the headquarters of one of the best organized rubber companies l have found anywhere during my four years of explorations. It is the estab- lishment of Asensi & Co.,, who started business IS years ago with eight men; today they employ $500 men all told, and produce TOO tons of rubber an nually, besides large quantities of eopaiba oil, tobacco, lumber, and other natural products. Their concessions cover the entire country bordering the Machado and Commemoracion, extend ing inland a distance of 30 kilometers on each side of the water In addi- ton, the concern controls large tracts on the Madeira. The building at Calama are large and comfortable, and besides living quarters include mod ernly equipped offices, storerooms, warehouses. carpenter and machine shops, and cattle barns. A resident physician is retained for the care of the employees, who are brought down from the camps and cared for when in need of treatment.