Year: 1879




An interesting account is given by
Robert Cross of the methods adopted in
Brazil for obtaining the gum from the
India-rubber trees. We CLEAN few
facts therefrOm:


'Tn the investigation of this subject /
travelled over vast extent of wide for
est country, much divided by miry hol-
lows and tidal gapos, which stretched
along the banks of the river Grama.
Although it s1three times as large as
the Thames at London bridge, it is not
to be seen on any ordinary map. In the
region alluded to there were hundreds
of trees wrought by different collectors
each of whom had a separate piece Of
land to work on.


'aThe collectors begin to work imme-
diately at daybreak, or as soon as they
can see to move about among the trees.
They say the milk flows more freely y and
in greater quantity at early morn. do
not attach much importance to this
statement, but I have recorded it. An
other, and more probable reason is, that
as the rain often falls about 2 or 8 o'clock
in the afternoon, the tapping must be
done early as, in case of shower, the
milk would be spattered about and lost.
The collector, first of all, at the begin
ming of the dry season, goes around and
lays at the base of each tree a certain
number of small cups of burnt clay. AT
the lesser trees only three or four are
put, but at the larger ones from eight to
twelve are deposited. The f0otpaths
leading from tree to tree are likewise
cleared Of sapling growtbs, and the
bridges over the gapos formed at each
place by the trunk Of a tree are, where
necessary, replaced. :.


son proceeding to his work the col
lector takes with him small ak, for tap
ping, and wicker basket containing
good sized ball of well wrought clay.
He usually has, likewise, bag for the
waste droppings of rubber and for what
may adhere to the bottom of the cups.
These promiscuous gatherings are term
ed sernamby, and form the 'negrO-head
of the English market. The cups, as al
ready stated, are made of burnt clay, and
are sometimes round, but more frequent


: fat or slightly concave on one side,
so as to stick easily, when with small
portion of clay, they are pressed against
the trunk Of tree. The contents OF tif-
teen cups make one English imperial
pint.


Arriving at the tree the collector
takes the ak In his right hand and, strlk-
ing in an upward direction as high as he
can reach, makes q deep, upward-sloping
cut g. ross the trunk, which always goes
through the bark and penetrates an inch
or more into the wood. The cut Is an
inch in breadth. frequently a small
portion of the bark breaks off from the
upper side, and occasionally a thin
splinter of wood is also raised. Quickly
STOPPING down he takes cul and past
ing small quantity Of clay N the fiat
side, presses it to the trunk, close be-
meath the cut. BY this time, the milk,
which is of dazzling Whiteness, begins
to exude, so that, If requisite, he so
smooths the clay that it may trckle di-
rectly into the cup. At q distance o.
four or five inches, but at the same
height, another cup is luted on, and 50
the process is continued until row OF
cups encircle the tree at a height OF
about six feet from the ground. Tree at.
ter tree is treated in like manner, until
the tapping for the day is finished.


"On the following morning the opera
ton is performed in the same way, only
that the cuts or gashes beneath which
the cups are placed are made from six
to eight inches lower down the trunk
than those. of the previous day. Thus,
each day brings the cups gradually low
er, until the ground is reached. The
collector then begins as high as he can
reach, and descends as before, taking
care, however, to make his cuts in sepa-
rate places from those previously made.


"Going from tree to tree at q sort OF
running pace, the collector empties the
contents Of the cups into a large Gala
bash, which he carries in his hand. AS
he pours the milk out of each cup, he
draws his thumb or forehnger across the
bottom to clean out some which would