The Monticellonian., 1915-03-04

ptDtll dlt lutO luOlt iC-
 gions than the headwaters of the
 Orinoco, or into a land of greater
 promise than is found along the upper reaches of the Gy Parana, bet ter known as the Rio Machado, writes Leo E. Miller in an interesting article on the rubber regions of South Amer ica, in the India Rubber World. The Gy Parana, it might be we'll to state, is one of the largest affluents of the Madeira For many years it's lower course has been known to adyentur- ous seekers of orchids, rubber, and other natural products, all of which have been yielded in abundance; but it is only within the last few years that the course of the upper river has been thrown open to navigation Of any kind. Even now only an ocea- sional dugout ventures beyond the zone of pestilence and rapids into the land of hostile Indian tribes; but the way has nevertheless been opened, and within a comparatively short time this region will be giving up it's fair quota of the natural riches that lie hidden in the vast, untrodden wilder ness.
 The Orinoco Is, no doubt, better known by name than the Machada, and at present it must suffice to give merely a vague idea of the remoteness of it's hinterlands by citing that 1t re- quires approximately three months of travel from Ciudad Bolivar, 240 miles from the mouth of the mighty river, to reach the rapids of Guajaribo, far above the mouth of the Cassiquaire; beyond that point the river is wholly unknown.
 At Senor Paraquete's Barraca.
 On February 2S, 1913, I stopped at the barraca of one Senor Paraquete, far up on the Orinoco, beyond the mouth of the Ventuari. The main building stood on a high bank 30 feet above the river, and was occupied by Senor Paraquete and his assistants. Several large rooms were used as venta or store and fair stock of provisions and merchandise was car ried On one side was the camp of Lllt Iull-DIOOutu CIiPiOJ0So Maquiritares from the regions of the Cunacunuma. who lived in small palm leaf huts with their families. On the other side stood long, matched build ings, open all around. with scores of hammocks strung from the posts and beams; these were the quarters of the natives-Venezuelan and Zambos In the rear, and some distance away, stood the smokehouses, completely in closed with palm leaves except for one small door opening. Trails led into the forest from number of points, and numerous dugouts tied to the landing indicated that work was also prosecuted on the other side of the river. Often, especially in the case of the Indians, man and wife worked together.
 Old-fashioned methods are employed entirely The trees are girded with strips of palm pitch at the base which intercept the latex and defect it into a folded leaf placed underneath This system Is rather wasteful and inju- rious to the trees There Is no fixed rule or custom for tapping the trees, the men hacking into the bark at ran dom, but occasionally the herringbone pattern of cut is used Each mar has two routes, and endeavors to have from 300 to 800 trees on each, leldom more, often less, according to the abundance of the rubber trees in the locality. He takes one trail one day, and the other the next, thus permit ting the trees to rest on alternate days. If it rains, the days catch is spoiled, as latex mixed with water is worthless.
 The milk was weighed as brought in by each man at midday and cred ited to his account; in the afternoon the whole force repaired to the smoke house to work up the days catch. A kind of wood called Mazarandul is used exclusively for the smudge,
 The cost of transportation between the Upper Orinoco and Ciudad Bolivar