('o|)yiii>lil X" 
 
 COl'VRKillT UIOl'OSIT. 
 
WHAT I SAW 
 
 IN THE 
 
 TROPICS 
 
 A RECORD OF VISITS TO CEYLON, 
 THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES, 
 MEXICO, NICARAGUA, COSTA 
 RICA, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, 
 COLOMBIA, JAMAICA, HAWAII 
 
 By henry C. PEARSON 
 
 Editor of The India Rubber World 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 35 West 2Ist Street 
 1906 
 
LIBRARYcf C •IfiRESS 
 Two Copies Reccjyed 
 
 SEP 22 iqofi 
 
 y^Copyn^nt Entry 
 I COPY B. ^ I 
 
 copyright, 1904, by 
 The India Rubber Publishing Co. 
 
 copyright, 1906, by 
 Henry C. Pearson 
 
PREFATORY 
 
 I HATE to write a preface, in fact 1 always resolve not to, and then 
 do it. When I brought out "Crude Rubber and Compounding 
 Ingredients," a captious friend complained Hiat it was too matter 
 of fact, — that it "lacked imagination." As it was practically a diction- 
 ary of methods of rubber manufacture. I did not care, that is, I did 
 care, but didn't show it. This book is different, 'llie story of rubber 
 planting is most romantic and at the same time as a whole is sound 
 and successful. I should like to stop a bit just here to say to a lot 
 of good fellows who smiled at ni}- predictions ten years ago — "I 
 told you so." But they have forgotten, and if they haven't, — what's 
 the use? 
 
 Starting again, this book is not a scientific treatise. It contains 
 the personal experiences of the author "dished up in his inimitable 
 style" (note the quotation marks), in his search for rubber planting 
 information in the tropical world. 
 
 As a scientific treatise it may be scorned by some intellectual 
 ones who have a string of letters following their names — (I wish I 
 had them mvself) but whose attenuated digestive organs preclude 
 the possibility of wedding fun with fact. 
 
 At all events the statements regarding rubber made herewith are 
 facts and can be gambled on. As to mi\- personal experiences and 
 adventures, think of them as you like. 
 
 Another word — I want to thank planters the world over, for 
 their interest and hospitality, but then they know that too, and if I 
 called them all bv name here this book would contain a three hundred 
 page preface. 
 
 HEXRY C. PEARSOX. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CKYLON AND FKDERArED MALAY STATES 
 
 FIRST LETTER. 
 
 From New York to Ceylon 
 
 Some Experiences of the Journey; ( )|)inions of Kiijij^lish Manu- 
 facturers Reoardino; Ceylon Rubl)cr ; I'oints of Interest 
 in the Tropics ; Beautiful Ceylon ; A \'isit to Typical 
 Hevea Plantations. 
 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Results of Exi'erimexts at the R(jyal Botanical Gardens . . 
 Growth of Hevea and its Yield at \'arious Ages ; Canker 
 P^unqus and its Treatment; Plantation Scenes. 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 A Visit to the New Experiment Station, Then to Culloden 
 
 Tapping Rubber Trees at Peradeniya Garden ; Ficus Elastica 
 
 Seventy-five Years Old ; Prospective Increase in Planting ; 
 
 Rainfall and Labor; Some Incidents of Travel; Library of 
 
 Singalese Sacred Literature ; The Para Output from 
 
 Ceylon ; The \\ ceding of Crops in the Island, 
 
 FOURTH LETTER. 
 
 Some Profitable Days Spent at Cl'lloden 
 
 Hevea Trees at the Beautifully Laid Out Tea Estate ; Night 
 
 Tajiping ; Results of an Experiment in Scraping the ( Juter 
 
 Bark from the Trees ; An ( )il made from Seeds of The 
 
 Rubber Tree ; A Rul)ber Drying House and Methods 
 
 of Coagulation ; Some \'aluable Information 
 
 Gleaned from X'isits to Other Rubber Plantations. 
 
 FIFTH LETTER. 
 
 From Ceylon to the Malay S'iates 
 
 Arrival at Singapore ; A Word About the Seat of Govern- 
 ment ; \'isit to Royal Botanical Gardens; Hevea Re- 
 sponds to Cultivation Here ; Phenomenal Growth ; Dis- 
 tance Planting ; Castilloa and Ceara Less Promising 
 A Visit to Chinese Merchant Quarters Where Gutta 
 Percha is Prepared for European Markets ; Pro- 
 cesses Watched with Interest; hrom Singapore 
 to Selangor. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 SIXTH LETTER. 
 
 Days Spent With Profit in Selangor 
 
 Rubber Plantations at Klang; Distance of Planting; Age 
 
 at Which Hevea Trees Yield ; The Labor Question ; The 
 
 Chinese as Rubber Planters ; The Selangor Rubber 
 
 Company : Return to Singapore and Departure for 
 
 Hone Kone. 
 
 ISTHMUS OF TEHAUNTEPEC 
 
 FIRST LETTER. 
 
 On the Way to the Land of the Castilloa 
 
 The Mining City of Zacatecas ; Queretara Where Maxi- 
 milian Was Executed ; Mexican Opals ; The Eternal Snows 
 of Popocatepetl and Lxtaccihuatl ; From the Citv of ^lex- 
 ico to Achotal ; Experiences at the Latter Town ; First 
 Sight of Cultivated Rubber. 
 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Prosperous Private Plantations 
 
 Careful Study of the Situation Proved to Investors that 
 Rubber Would be More Profitable than Coffee ; Results 
 of Planting in Favorable and L^nfavorable Conditions ; 
 Continual Tapping Showed Latex Given Out by All 
 Trees ; Knowledge of Climatic Conditions Neces- 
 sary to Successful Planting ; La Junta ; The 
 Lal)orers. 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 A Grasp ox the Kuiuuir Planting Situation 
 
 Clearing and lUirning In' Contract ; Danger from Fires ; 
 
 Gathering Castilloa Seeds ; Costly Seed Failures ; The 
 
 Journey to Coatzacoalcos ; Morning Glory A'ines ; The 
 
 T'roblem of Tapping and Preparing for Market. 
 
 fourth letter. 
 
 Across tiii-: Isthmus 
 
 \'iews of Many Plantations; \ast Tracts of Land Xeeding 
 Only Irrigation to Make 'Idiem \'aluable; Mexican Laws; 
 Animals and Insects of the Temijcrate Zone; Ahumer in 
 Which Plantations are Taxed ; The Cow Pea and Vel- 
 vet Bean Which Should Receive the Attention of 
 Rubber Growers. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 NICARAGUA 
 
 Rubber Interests in Central yVmerica 
 
 Witnessing a Waterspout ; Through the Lagoons to the Ruh- 
 her Plantations; The Manhattan Plantation; Too Much 
 Water Detrimental to e'astilloa ; The Rainfall; Sim Irons' 
 Rubber Groves and Cukra Plantations ; Careful Tap- 
 ping; Four Hundred Thousand Castilloas in This 
 Vicinity a Conservative Estimate; A Scale that 
 Affects the Rul)ber Trees ; Samples Brought to 
 United States and Examined at the Connect- 
 icut Agricultural Experiment Station at 
 New Haven ; Letters from State Entomol- 
 ogist, Connecticut, and Acting Chief 
 of Bureau of Entomology at Wash- 
 ington ; Treatment Suggested for 
 Extermination of the Pest. 
 
 COSTA RICA 
 
 A Plantation of Over One Hundred Thousand Castilloas 
 Bananas the Chief Product of the Country Interplanted with 
 Rubber in Many Instances; Proper Drainage the Onl\- Sal- 
 vation for Rul)ber Trees; Watery Latex; Interest in 
 Rubber Planting in Costa Rica Dates Back About 
 Twelve Years ; Some Plantations That are 
 Flourish in ST. 
 
 PANAMA 
 
 FIRST LETTER 
 
 To Panama tn the Rainy Season 
 
 Colon ; Along the Panama Canal ; F'anama City ; Toboga 
 
 Island ; Quebro Outlaws ; Almost Wrecked ; Ashore at Last ; 
 
 Castilloa Growing Within One Hundred Feet of the 
 
 Shore ; Interesting Stories of the Pioneer. 
 
 second letter 
 
 Roughing It 
 
 Camp Rio Negro ; Castilloa Groves ; Birds, Animals, and 
 Reptiles ; Trips of Exploration ; Coagulating Rubber with 
 Amole Juice ; Native Rubber Gathering ; Process of 
 Tapping and Tools Used ; Trails Cut in Everv Direc- 
 tion Followed by Long, Hard Tramps. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 THIRD LETTER 
 
 Camp Iguaxa 
 
 The Forest Primeval ; Bees and Rubber ; A Land Without 
 Law : Breaking Camp ; Mountain CHmbing ; Plantation 
 Las Marg-haritas ; On Board Quartos Hermanos ; Pan- 
 ama, Colon, and New York. 
 
 COLOMBIA 
 
 Impressions of the Col^ntry 
 
 Journey from the Port of Colombia to Barranquilla ; Amus- 
 ing Hotel Experiences in That City ; The Stay in Carta- 
 gena ; Little Information to be Gained About Rubber ; 
 Meeting Mr. Granger, United States Consular Agent 
 at Quibdo ; His Interesting Account of the Reason 
 for the Present Lack of Interest in Rubber Plant- 
 ing ; His Prophesy for the Future Based upon 
 Present Well I-'ounded Indications. 
 
 JAMAICA 
 
 Outlines of a FL^•ING Trip 
 
 A Word Concerning the Island of Jamaica ; Information from 
 
 the Departtment of Agriculture ; A Visit to Castleton 
 
 Gardens ; Something About the Rubber Produced There 
 
 and the Conditions Attending it ; Hope Gardens ; 
 
 Hevea and Castilloa ; The Milk Withe. 
 
 HAWAII 
 
 Rubber Culture in the Sandwich Islands 
 
 The First Sight of Hawaii ; A Bit of the History of the Sand- 
 wich Islands ; Temperature, Crops, etc. ; Prospects for Rub- 
 ber Growth ; First Rubber Plantings ; The Nahiku Rul)ber 
 Com})any, Limited; Principal Planting Done 1)\- United 
 States Settlers. 
 
FIRST LETTER. 
 
 Crossing the Atlaxtic— English Maxufactukers and Cevi.on Rubber— On 
 Board the Himalaya— Stromboli— Port Said and the Suez Canal— The Red 
 Sea and Aden— Beautiful Ceylon— At the Galle Face Hotel— Singalese, 
 Tamils and Chinese — Quaint Customs — Director WiLi.is. of Peradeniya and 
 Heneratgoda— The Oldest Plantations of Hevea— In a Bullock -'Hackery" 
 to Heneratgoda Gardens. 
 
 TO those who are interested as to why I chose the Le\-lan(l Hner, 
 Dcz'oiiiaii, to carry me across the Atlantic at the heginning of my 
 journey toward the Far East. 1 l)eg to explain that she is a big, 
 roomy, seaworthy craft of 11,000 tons, that there were only six passengers 
 all told, and although she carried some eight hundred cattle, they did not 
 appear on the deck, or at table, nor would one have dreamed of their 
 existence, once they were driven aboard. The ten days that were occu- 
 lted in crossing, spent chiefly on the promenade deck playing quoits with 
 the ship's doctor, put me in fine trim for the brief view of Liverpool and 
 London that I had before the alleged train dc luxe bore me to Marseilles, 
 to join the P. and O. steamship, the Himalaya. My stop in England was 
 only long enough to allow me to see a few of the leading rubber manu- 
 facturers, and get their ideas as to the value of the new Para rubber that 
 Ceylon planters are sending to that market. 
 
 One who has probably used as much of this rubber, or more than 
 any other, summarized his experience as follows: "It shrinks on the aver- 
 age about 1.4 per cent. I use it successfully in all grades of fine work, 
 including cut sheet. Init do not like it for cements. It stands all tests 
 after vulcanization — compression, stretch and return, oils. etc.. just as 
 well as fine Para, and is perfectly satisfactorv."" 
 
 Another detailed the results of his own experiments thus: "This is a 
 general summing up of the practical results, obtained from approximatelv 
 two tons of rubber, from about twenty different plantations. The irregu- 
 larity in quality is very great, varying from tough elastic gum, apparentlv 
 equal to Manaos Para, to soft, stickv short rubber, with little more elas- 
 
4 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 ticity than recovered rubber. This irregularity 1 tind in all the forms of 
 pancakes, whether thick or thin, translucent or opaque, except those which 
 have been smoked ; which, whether owing to the smoke or some other 
 reason, have in the lots (from three separate plantations) which I have 
 tested, proved even in quality throughout. I have been favored by one 
 plantation with unsmoked samples ( separately treated and marked ) from 
 eighteen year old trees, and from young five year old trees. Each of these 
 samples proved regular throughout, but the quality was very different, 
 that from the old trees being tough and very elastic, while that from the 
 voung trees was soft and green. It appears to me, therefore, probable 
 that the irregularity I have noted in the quality of shipments may arise 
 from the varying ages of the trees, and that until they have reached abso- 
 lute maturity, the latex of one season's planting should not be mixed with 
 that of younger or older trees, but that each year should stand on its own 
 merits to attain regularity in quality. Tbe smoked samples mav have come 
 from old trees onl}-, and the smoke perhaps had nothing to do with the 
 quality. This want of regularity utterly shuts out Ceylon rubber from 
 fine work, such as thread, cut sheet, bladders, etc., and as the strength 
 of a chain is but that of its weakest link, it cannot at present, for general 
 work, be classed higher than the good mediums. For the special purpose 
 of making cement, however, it has found a place for itself on account of 
 Its extreme cleanliness, and the very convenient form of the pancakes in 
 which it is shipped, practically ready for the naphtha bath. I believe in 
 a great future for rubber planting, properly carried out. It might be 
 done by the government forest department, and the trees rented when 
 old enough. ■■ 
 
 Thus the only "out" about the rubber, from the viewpoint of the 
 user, seemed to be the presence of immature, or parth- cured gum, some- 
 thing to be expected when the fact is remembered that the plantations 
 are young and the planters without long experience in gathering or pre- 
 paring for market. The added fact that it brings the highest price 
 in the market led me to believe that I had before m? a most inter- 
 esting series of plantation visits, once I slv, uld reach Cevlon and 
 the Federated Malay States. 
 
 As I said, therefore, I took train at Dover, crossed the channel. 
 landed at Calais (so called from the way they handle one's luggage), 
 shivered all the night in the absurd little French train dc luxe, and finalh- 
 arriving at ^Marseilles, stepped aboard the steamer that was to be niv 
 home for nearly three weeks. In due course we left the granite quays, 
 the shii)ping, and the splendid limestone cliffs of the French port behind 
 
AM) Tim M.I LAV STA'/JiS 5 
 
 and settled down td the Mediterrunean trip. We passed thrcnigh the 
 straits of Bonifacio in the nit^ht, so that I liad no chance to observe, or 
 photo^rai)h, and the next morning we were out of sip^lit of land. The 
 day following we all started in to get acquainted. I was the oidy Ameri- 
 can aboard, the major part being English people who had interests in 
 India, Ce\lon, or .\ustralia, and some even were going beyond to Hong- 
 kong and Yokohama. 
 
 I had thought to do some writing on this voyage, but some kindly 
 soul put me on the "annisements committee,"* and what with tourna- 
 ments for deck ([uoits, cricket, ball, needle and cigarette races, etc., not 
 to speak of two concerts, my time was pretty well taken up. Aly revenge 
 
 THE A.ML'SEMENTS COMMITTEE. 
 
 [On H. M. S. "Himalaya."] 
 
 came with the concerts, however. I made a speech at each, relating vari- 
 ous well known American stories as personal experiences, and they were 
 most enthusiastically received. As the British are firmly convinced that 
 all Americans are speech makers, it is w^ell for those who propose to travel 
 with them to prepare to be called upon. 
 
 On the night of November 21, we had a splendid view of the volcano 
 of Stromboli. which gave us a veritable special exhibition. The night 
 was moonless, and the sea as smooth as glass. About nine o'clock we 
 
6 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 caught the first red glow of the crater, and two hours later we 
 were near enough to dimly discern the outline of the cone shaped island 
 mountain, and to see plainly the red lava torrents that tumbled down 
 its sides and were quenched in the sea. We all staid up until the island 
 was lost to sight, and left the deck only when a faint reflection on the 
 gathering clouds was all there was left to us of one of the most impres- 
 sive sights. 
 
 We passed the straits of Mycenae so early in the morning that none 
 of us were up, and on jNIonda}- we saw Crete in the distance. By this time 
 the boat had developed a pretty fair roll but few were ill, and the deck 
 games went on — that is, for the men. On Tuesda)- noon we were behind 
 the breakwater at Port Said and surrounded by coaling scows, crowded 
 by dirty Arabs who did the coaling with baskets. As the air was full 
 
 
 :"-'W' B< n Bfc mt—'^ riSS''''^^''^"" 
 
 :KI. — : ■— wnmiBiHii' 
 
 PORT SAID WATER FRONT. 
 
 of coal (lust a half dozen of us secured a boat and went ashore, spending 
 the afternoon in roaming the sandy streets, followed In' a crowd of beg- 
 gars, jugglers, pox-pitted street venders, sellers of indecorous photo- 
 graphs, and all of the rififrafif of the nastiest of all the cities of the Orient. 
 Port Said is Iniilt on soil, chiefly sand, that was dumped there dur- 
 ing the excavation of the canal. It is a Inisy, l)ustling place, due to the 
 constant arrival and departure of steamers. It has a fair harbor made 
 
AND TJJIi MALAY STATES 7 
 
 liy two l)reak\vatci-s, that extend out into the sliallows. one 7.0CX) feet, the 
 other 6,000 feet. 
 
 We expected to get away early the next mornini;-, Imt the mail from 
 Brindisi being late, it was four o'clock in the afternoon before we en- 
 tered the canal. According to rules, we steamed at four miles an hour, 
 tying up to the bank when another boat was met. As we passed by three 
 during the night, this occasioned quite a delay. It was cool, and 
 a light overcoat was necessary after the sun set, but we did not stay long 
 on deck as both sand flies and mos(|uitoes were quite abundant. 
 
 In the light of our own American canal projects, it is interesting 
 to remember that the Suez plan was entertained and dismissed as im- 
 ])racticable h\ Xai)oleon I, who was advised by his engineers that the 
 Red Sea was thirty-three feet higher than the Mediterranean, and later 
 when M. de Lesseps had proved that the difference in levels was but six 
 
 IX THE SUEZ CAXAL. 
 
 inches, such an eminent authority as Robert Stephenson declared the 
 plan to be commercially unsound. There was also a rival plan brought 
 out for a 250-mile canal from Alexandria to Suez. Nevertheless the great 
 work was completed. It is one hundred miles long, only about one-quar- 
 ter of it being artiticially made, the rest traversing natural lakes such 
 as Bitter Lake and Lake Timsah. The plan of the canal was for a depth 
 of twenty-six feet, the bottom of the ditch being seventy-two feet wide 
 and the top about three hundred feet. This was carried out in places, 
 but where the digging was especially hard it is somewhat narrower. The 
 canal shows a slight current, and slowly though the boats go through it. 
 
8 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 there is a constant crnnil)ling- of the sandy hanks so tliat a force of steam 
 dredgers is employed keeping the channel clear, nor is this work allowed 
 to flag for an hour. 
 
 The next morning we were still hemmed in h_\' sandy hanks, and the 
 scenery was not inspiring, being varied only by small stations aliout 
 which clustered a few lebec trees, the big dredges and an occasional 
 native boat with its huge yards and dingy sail. Passing both the old 
 and the modern cities of Suez, we left the canal and were in the gulf 
 of Suez. Here the water was of a marvelous blue, the sun brilliant, and 
 the far off, lofty sand dunes, scored and seamed by winds and rain, 
 showed wonderful eft'ects in yellow, brown, violet and purple. Here 
 we began to get the warm weather. With Asia on our left, Africa on 
 our right, and both in sight, a smooth sea and blazing sun, white flannel 
 and duck suits soon appeared; the punkahs were started in the dining 
 saloon, and the whole of the deck shaded by both top and side awnings. 
 Wind scoops were also placed in the open ports, and we felt at last that 
 we were in the tropics. 
 
 The next point of interest to be noted was the Daedelus shoal, from 
 which our Captain Broun once rescued one hundred and eightv souls, 
 who, escaping from the wreck of their vessel, were gathered in a shiver- 
 ing crowd, waist deep in water. 
 
 We had a further evidence of the genuineness of the hot weather 
 the next morning at three o'clock, when the order came to close the 
 ports as the water was slopping into the cabins. How most of them 
 stood it I don't know, but I took a blanket and went on deck, and even 
 then it was stifling. At daybreak we passed the "twelve apostles," a 
 dozen big rocks rising abruptly from the sea, a grim weather beaten 
 row. It was near here that the Turkish government, after much pressure, 
 erected fine light-houses furnished with the lat:st illuminating devices, 
 but after keeping them lit for two weeks, the lights went out and not a 
 glimmer have they shown since. As navigation is a bit perilous herea- 
 bouts, and mariners need the lights, it is just as well perhaps, that I 
 <lid not make careful note of the quartermaster's opinion of the unspeak- 
 able Turk, given as he told me the story. 
 
 The days were now long, hot, and a bit monotonous. Shut out 
 as we were on the promenade decks by canvas walls, the peeps that we 
 got at the sea showed a glare of light that was almost unbearable. The 
 only relief was when a sudden drenching shower obscured the sun and we 
 got glimpses of mountainous islands, distant peaks, and still more distant 
 ranges. We were fortunate, however, in seeing the volcanic island Jebel 
 
AXf) 'run M.IL.W STATUS 9 
 
 Tair, and later Mocha. Mt. Sinai Iiaviiii; been ])assc'l in the w'v^hi. With 
 a jrloriotis setting of the sun over Somaliland, w c ])asse(l throuj^h the 
 straits of I'.ab-el-Mandeh, l,v the barren island I'erim, and the next 
 morning- cast anchor in the harbor at Aden. 
 
 It nmst have been two o'clock in the inornini;- when 1 awoke and 
 found that we were at anchor. 'Idle sound that brouj;ht me to a sense of 
 niv surroundings, and the insutferable heat of the cabin, was the chanting 
 of a gang of coolies who were warjjing a huge freight scow uj) to our 
 steamer. Their song was the iteration of two ])hrases that sounded like 
 "Esco (/(/;•// ve! Perri go dani ye!" and with each "darn"' they all gave 
 a pull, besides this, there was a constant chatter from a half hundred 
 boatmen, that drove me on deck, where wrapped in a rug, and lying in 
 the scuppers, I got a few more winks. Aden is as uninteresting as it 
 is unhealthv. It is well called "the white man's grave," as hundreds lie 
 buried on its rocky slopes. 
 
 It is built on a flat, sandy, treeless plain, hemmed in by hills, arid 
 and barren to the last degree. It rains here regularly once in three 
 vears, and the water is stored in huge tanks five miles away u]) in the 
 hills. Anvone who wishes to enjov a long cool drink, and then another, 
 should seek this thirstiest of all thirsty spots. It was here that the 
 passengers whose destination was India were transferred to another 
 steamer. And sorrv we w^cre to have them go, for man_\- friendships had 
 been formed which were of the sort that should continue. 
 
 Here left, too, a young man who had not only been my partner at 
 deck quoits, but who had given me much information about America. 
 Shall I ever forget the evening, just after our excellent course dinner, 
 when he said to me, with the kindest of intonations: 
 
 "Don't you miss the sweets (candy) between the courses?" 
 
 "What sweets?" was my bewildered query. 
 
 "Whv. vou know, in America, at a course dinner, they serve sweets 
 after the soup, and the fish, and the entree, and right through the dinner." 
 
 I had no vivid remembrance of that custom myself, but his faith 
 in the exactness of his information was so great that it would have been 
 a sin to upset it, so I agreed that I was pining for chocolate creams after 
 the consomme, and molasses candy as a chaser for the fish, and it made 
 him mv friend for life, for wdiich I am exceedingly glad, as in spite of 
 that one absurd idea, he was one of the finest chaps I ever met. 
 
 Speaking of the people one meets in distant lands, it is sad to say 
 that one's own countrymen are often the biggest freaks. I met one of 
 the freak sort later. He had not been in the smoking room ten minutes 
 
lO 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 before he had told his whole history, and got every Briton and European 
 there white hot by his comparisons, invidious and startling. In the 
 midst of it I was pointed out to him as a fellow countryman, and he 
 tried to get me into the fight, but I balked. Then he started in to impress 
 me with his importance. 
 
 "I come from God"s country." he said, "but I've been all over every- 
 
 wheres. I used to be consul at A . I lecture, too. When I was consul 
 
 at A I often used to go aboard a man-of-war and lecture, sometimes 
 
 for two or three hours, and I always got seven guns ; what do you think 
 of that?"" 
 
 "Alighty poor shooting, so far, but they will get you some day," I 
 said with conviction. 
 
 BREAKWATER AT COLOMBO, CEYLON. 
 
 After leaving Aden I was able to secure an upper deck cabin, which 
 was much cooler than those either on the main or spar decks. Now that 
 we were in the Indian Ocean, the sea grew much smoother, and early in 
 the morning, after a salt water l)ath, the men promenaded the deck in 
 pajamas until eight o"clock, after which ordinary clothes were required. 
 
 We now began to feel the breath of the monsoon, while the water 
 took on an even bluer blue, and tlying fish in shoals fled to right and 
 left from the onrushing ship. The heaviest sort of showers also began 
 to come with more or less regularitv, the ship"s officers came out in white 
 duck suits, prawn, fish, and other currys appeared at dinner, and we 
 kiiezv that we were in the tropics. 
 
 On the evening (if Deceml)er 5, we sighted Alinecoi Island, a knv 
 lying, circular bit of land crowded with graceful cocoanut palms, and 
 
.■^XD Till'. M.ILAY ST.iriiS 
 
 I r 
 
 a wcll-kimwn copra jjroduciiii; ])lac(.'. ( )n the (la\ foll()\vin5:(, at 1.15 in 
 the mornins;-. we passed behind the j^reat breakwater and dropped anchcjr 
 in Colonilx) harljor. in tlie midst of a great fleet of passenger and tramj)' 
 steamers of all nations, native boats, lighters, etc. Most of the men 
 al)oard were on deck, although ])ajama-clad, and as the coaling was 
 soon to begin, 1 went ashore, passed the little black customs inspector 
 without difficulty, and, getting in a jinrikisha, was soon at the (ialle 
 Face Hotel and sound asleep in a big wide bed that seemed delightfully 
 stead\- when contrasted with even the comfortable berths of the 
 Hiuialaxa. 
 
 PADDY [rice] field IX CEYLON. 
 
 It may, perhaps, be well just here to refresh the reader's knowledge 
 of Ceylcn with the following facts. The island lies south of India 
 proper, and is two hundred and seventy-one miles long and one hundred 
 and thirty-seven miles broad, and contains about 24,700 square 
 miles. It has under cultivation, or used for pasture, some 
 3,500,000 acres — more than a fourth of its area. Of this about 520.000 
 acres are devoted to rice and other grains, the next largest planting 
 being tea. of which there are about 400.000 acres. Other important 
 products are cocoanuts, spices, cofifee, sugar, cacao, tobacco, essential 
 oil grasses, etc. 
 
 The population of the island is about 3.500,000, of which less than 
 10,000 are Europeans. The majority of the natives are Singalese, of 
 
12 
 
 RUBBER PLANT! XG IN CEYLON 
 
 whom there are over 2.000,000. the otlier races heing Tamils ( of whom 
 there are nearh- a milhon). Burghers. Eurasians, Moors. Malays, X'edahs 
 (aborigines), and so on. 
 
 The island has an excellent government of the paternal sort, admin- 
 istered l)v a governor who is appointed by the King of Engand. He is 
 assisted bv an executive council of five, but has power to overrule their 
 advice. There is also a legislative council of nine, including members of 
 the executive, together with eight unofficials appointed by the governor, 
 representing the mercantile and planting interests and the native com- 
 munities. 
 
 CATAMARAN WITH SAIL, CE\LOX. 
 
 The island became a British possession in 1795. Prior to this the 
 Dutch, who had held it for 138 years, had wrested it from the Portuguese, 
 who ruled it for 141 years. Interesting reminders of both of these 
 conquests arc found in the high-sounding Portuguese names that many 
 of the .Singalese bear, and in the Burgher types which remain quite 
 Dutch, both in name and appearance. Neither the Dutch nor the Portu- 
 guese had ever conqueretl the whole of the island, which was accom- 
 ])lished b}- the British in 181 5. Since then there have been a few 
 rebellions, which, however, were easily suppressed. During the last one, 
 in 1848, some 2,000 up-countr\- Singalese were put to flight b\- thirty 
 Malays who wore the British uniforms, a proof that the ancient warlike 
 spirit of the Kandyans is practically extinct. 
 
I\I) Till-: M.IL.IY STATES 
 
 13 
 
 .My first task after 1 was ci)nit(irtal)ly settled at the ( lalle l'"ace was 
 to Imy a sun lielniet, (ir topcc, wliieli 1 was lucky enough to tind in one 
 of the native stores that occu])y the ^roimd floor of the hotel. There 
 are two dani^ers ag-ainst which visitors to this part of the world must 
 yuard most carefullv : one is ex])osure to the sun, and the other a sudden 
 chill. In no ])art of the world, if reports are true, is the sun so deadly as 
 here, hut the danger mav he reduced to a minimum if one will but listen 
 to the advice of the older residents, and take reasonable precautions. A 
 ])ith sun helmet is indispensable, as straw or felt hats are sources of 
 
 STREET SCENE IN COLOMBO. 
 
 danger, and a cap is worst of all. In addition, one should at first carry 
 an umbrella as well. Xor is the danger present onlv at midday, or when 
 there are no clouds. It is practically as bad at seven in the morning, or 
 when the sky is wholly covered with clouds. The habits of the dwellers 
 here — that is, the Europeans, speak of this danger. Men and women 
 wear sun helmets and carr\- sun umbrellas, while broad verandahs and 
 close lattices guard the houses. Even the railway carriages have, in 
 addition to curtains, visor-like projections to keep out the searching ravs 
 
■14 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 •of Old Sol. There have heen cases even of sunstroke through the 
 -eyes, from the intense glare reflected from white roads or from the 
 water, while a single shaft of sunlight, entering a crevice in a shutter, 
 .and falling on a man's temple, has been known to result fatally. 
 
 Where the heat is so great, it seems almost absurd to talk of chills, 
 but when the sun goes down, and it still remains so hot that collars 
 wilt, and the whole body is wet with perspiration, there comes that 
 •danger. The breath of the northeast monsoon, the regular wind of the 
 winter months, while not cold, has brought on manv a fatal chill, and 
 resulted in fever and death. Hence most of the Europeans wear flannel 
 bands about the abdomen (cholera belts they are called), and are very 
 careful not to sleep in a draught, or to cool off too suddenly when very 
 warm. 
 
 The natives, on the other hand, seem to be almost invulnerable both 
 to the sun and to the " ■soon.'" They go about bareheaded, and almost 
 bare-bodied, and sleep when and where they will, and rarely suffer from 
 such exposure. 
 
 Equipped though I was to stand the heat, I was not proof against 
 surprise, nor the delight that I felt when I saw standing in the hotel 
 lobby, my good friend, Henry Ml Rogers, of Boston, one of the directors 
 of the Revere Rubber Co. He did not see me. and as my sun helmet 
 Avould be a sort of disguise. I went up to him. and said: 
 
 "Do you wish a guide, sir?" 
 
 "No, I thank you," he responded politely. 
 
 "But you do!" I insisted, "You are lost now, and don't suspect it. 
 I will not only guide you for nothing, but will be glad to pav for the, 
 privilege." 
 
 I saw a gleam of recognition come into his eyes, as he said: "My 
 •dear boy, the rubber trade of the United States sent me over here to 
 watch over and guide you. It is you who are lost, and I am delighted 
 to find you." 
 
 Then we had a love feast, and instead of feeling far from home, 
 kindred, and friends, it seemed as if the miles between Ceylon and the 
 States were few. and most easily annihilated. At the same time, it did 
 seem a l)it unusual that we two. starting from the same city, and circling 
 the globe in opposite directions, without any knowledge of the other's 
 .absence from home, should meet as we did. It was also very jolly. 
 
IXn 'mil M.IL.IV STATES 
 
 15 
 
 After jJi-oviiiL; to a score of .Mohammedan merchants who liaunt 
 the hotel that 1 desired to l)ny no je\veh-y, silks, curios, or unset stfjnes, 
 and threatening? the native tailor and shoemaker with my umhrella. 1 
 had a chance to look ahout. The hotel is ])eauti fully situated on tiie 
 seashore, its courtyard crowded with cocoanut palms, its hroad verandahs, 
 latticed blinds, and hij;h ceilini^s makin<?- it as cool as one could exi)ect 
 in so torrid a clime. It was impossible for me to communicate with 
 any of the planters that day, so I gave myself up to the pleasant task of 
 watching the strange |)LM)ple that surrounded me. For example, a Hindu 
 juggler, with the inevitable native tlule. and a basket of cobras, invitee' 
 
 BANYAN TREE, CEYLON. 
 
 me out upon the lawn to view his magic. I thought it worth a rupee 
 to see the "mango trick," and I was not able to detect any fraud in the 
 sleight-of-hand bv which he apparently planted the seed, made it sprout, 
 and within two or three minutes grew a pretty shrub more than two 
 feet high. Bv encouraging a rival of his, I also saw a lively little mon- 
 goose attack and kill a huge ratsnake, but no inducement was effective 
 in getting him to trust his cobra within reach of its traditional enemy. 
 
 Just as the exhibition ended, along came a steamer friend, with 
 the information that he had engaged a gharry to take us out to Mount 
 Lavinia. a favorite shore house some three miles away. As it promised 
 to give me a view of the country, I gladly consented, and we were soon 
 bowlino- along over the fine roads, drawn by a very diminutive but 
 
lO 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 energetic pony. On the way. we stopped at a Buddhist temple, and, 
 under the guidance of a priest who spoke excellent English, we saw the 
 great image of Buddha, in the forehead of which is set a sapphire as 
 big as a teacup, which glows and sparkles with a most uncanny luster 
 when the room is darkened. 
 
 We also saw the small temple, where, securely sealed forever from 
 human sight, are the sacred books engraved on plates of gold and 
 silver. The doors to this little building, by the way, were walled up 
 some eleven hundred years ago. As a special favor, the priest showed 
 us a footprint of the god in solid rock. To my mind, it didn't do Bud 
 justice, as the pedal extremity was exceedingly flat, and the toes looked 
 
 I'l.AXTAINS, CEVLUN. 
 
 as if they niiglit have been whittled out of soft pine bv a very poor 
 whittlcr. The size of the foot, however, was all that could be desired 
 by any believer. 
 
 He also showed us a series of striking pictures, illustrating the 
 various types of torture in the hereafter for those who killcfl anv living 
 thing here on earth, even to the insects that make the fine-toothed comb 
 a necessity. I was surprised to find among them special tortures for 
 those who fish and hunt. 
 
 In the temple enclosure we were at |)eace, but once outside a half 
 hundred beggars, big and little, crowded about us, following closelv 
 down the narrow lane towards our carriage. 1 was afraid some of 
 
AND 'run MALAY STATUS 
 
 17 
 
 tlieni would i^ive me of their various skin diseases, so I liired the priest 
 fur a rupee to keeji them all at a distance, until we were on our way out, 
 which he did. 
 
 The drive to Mount Lavinia was so full of novel scenes that it is 
 almost im])ossil)le to select even a few that are typical. Throu<:^h the 
 narrow streets, crowded with native houses, from which swarmed half- 
 clad men and women, and nude children, meetinj^- Tamils, Sinj^alese. 
 Chinese, Moors — indeed all types of black and yellow men, turninir out 
 for carriac^es of all sorts, jinrikishas, hullock hackeries and hus:e two- 
 
 NATIVE METHOD OF TREE CLIMBING, 
 
 wheeled thatched-roof wains, getting a glimpse of a rare tropical garden, 
 then of a squalid Tamil hut, by Chinese graveyards, European villas, 
 cocoanut plantations, banana patches — all over a road of good hard "cha- 
 bok," we went, until we drew up at the little hotel-crowned height of 
 Mount Lavinia. Here we had tiffin, with cofifee, out on the lawn under an 
 umbrella-like tent, where we lay in reclining chairs and watched the 
 sapphire sea studded with native fishing boats, their huge brown sails 
 swelling with the breath of the northeast monsoon. It was scorching 
 hot in the sun. so we waited until late in the afternoon, and drove slowly 
 hack to the hotel. 
 
i8 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 I was awakened early next morning by my black Tamil bedroom 
 man, wlio brought coffee and bread and fruit, and informed me that 
 "Master's"* bath was ready. As I pulled the mos(|uito curtains aside, 
 and got slowly out of bed, I was startled b}- a flapping of wings, and 
 a very black and impudent crow alighted on the window-sill, his eye on 
 the tray of food, and waited impatiently for me to go to the bathroom. 
 On the tiled roof opposite were half a hundred more, awaiting the 
 
 A\ rPCorXTRV TEA ESTATE IX CEVLoN. 
 
 [Great Western Mountains in the background.] 
 
 results of his investigation, so I took my coffee then and there. ( )n my 
 return, not a crumb of food remained, much to the disgust of a couple 
 of sparrows who were investigating my belongings with all sorts of 
 profane comments. They left, however, when the lizard began to sing, 
 and I didn't blame them, for however common and useful the house- 
 lizard is in Ceylon, and even if it can catch more flies and mosquitoes 
 than an)thing else, its song is not real music, and if you trv to stop it, 
 by throwing a boot, the tail drops off', greath- injm-ing its looks. 
 
/.\7) THE MALAY STATES 
 
 19 
 
 \ cry early in llic day. I was inlroduccd l)y my requfst to the dhoby 
 man, wlio is the washerwoman ol' tlie h:ast. He takes one"s clothin^,^ out 
 to the nearest stream, wades into the water, and ])ounds tlie (Hrt out on 
 the rocks, then ])artially (h'ics and irons them. He also lias a hahit of 
 infestino- them with a ])arasite which results in the ••dhol)ies" itcli." I 
 had a mixture of starch, horic acid, and ])ow(K'rcd zinc, which I desired 
 to try on tliis parasite, and althou.^h I told him when he look the contract 
 to Ije sure to ^iye me my money's wortli of germs. 1 didn't get one. and 
 I am sure he had some, for he was always scratch ing. I fancv he deHv- 
 ered mine to the cliaj) who had the room '--next to me. for 1 used to hear 
 him scratching and "saying things" when night had fallen, and the "spicv 
 hreezes hlew soft o"er Ce\lon"s is'e.'" 
 
 ' hevea" at heneratgoda. 
 
 [Large tree in foreground on which tapping experiments were 
 
 made for several years.] 
 
 The next morning I called on '\lr. Ferguson, of the Tropical Agri- 
 culturist, who for many years has heen a high authority on tropical 
 planting. To my regret, he was ahsent. heing then in the United States, 
 and, his nephew informed me. likely to call at my Xew York office at 
 any time. I learned, however, that Director J. C. Willis, f. l. s.. of the 
 Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, was then in town, and at the hotel 
 fan.iiliarly known as the "G. O. H.,"" meaning the Grand Oriental Hotel, 
 wliere I found him, and was ahle to secure his assistance in planning 
 my visit to the typical Hcvca plantations. 
 
20 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 Prior to my visits to the plantations, in talking to those who were 
 supposed to know about rubber plantations, there was a great unanimity 
 of opinion as to the profits shown. One man, not an optimist either, 
 said that in two cases he knew of. the first year's tapping had paid for 
 the whole of the the original investment, and that the second year's 
 production had shown a profit of 120 per cent. He was not quite sure 
 
 I'AKA RrHlip:R TREES ( HEVEA liKASILIEN SIS ) AT HENERAT- 
 GODA. 
 
 [Tapping with Mallet and Chisel.] 
 
 of the age of the trees when first tapped, but said they were certainly 
 not ten years old. 
 
 He said that when the planters had in view any new product that 
 looked pretty good, the natives always planted a little of it. so that when 
 harvest time came, they could secure a little from their own plantation, 
 which, added to what they were able to steal from the white planters, 
 often made a very good showing. Thus they were alread\- planting the 
 Hcvca in a small wav, and wnuM doubtless later do more or less niyht 
 
.1X1) Tim M.ll..iy S'lATliS 
 
 21 
 
 tai)i)iiii4- on tlif ])lantati<nis of the white men. ( )f ccjursc. uncc thcv have 
 the nihhcr, it is im])ossil)le to ])rovc title to it. 
 
 In chatting with Director Willis, it was easy to see that he was 
 enormously interested in tlie success of the Hcvca exi)erinients in Cevlon, 
 and, intleed, in the whole of the East, and that he was doing much to 
 further them. That the wdiole of the tr()])ical world in the I'2ast was fully 
 alive to the opportunity that ruhher offers, he acknowledged. The 
 hotanic gardens at IVradeniya, and the plantations as well, are constantly 
 receiving visitors from Java, Sumatra, h'rench Indo-China, Siam, and 
 similar countries, who are investigating the suhject, and often trying to 
 contract for seed on the spot. 
 
 As the oldest planting of Hcvca ruhher in the island is at Henerat- 
 goda gardens, which is one of the government gardens, under the direct 
 charge of Mr. Willis, he thought that my plan to go there first was a 
 good one, and at once gave me a letter to the contractor in charge, Mr. 
 William Perira. 
 
 ( )n the following morning, therefore, I had coffee at 4.30, and took 
 a "rickshaw" to the railway station, and ere long was speeding along 
 the seacoast toward my destination. The rising sun disclosed long 
 stretches of swamp and jungle, stretches of sandy shore crowded with 
 cocoanut palms, native villages just awakening, fishing villages where 
 the whole population was engaged in pulling nets that had been filling 
 up all night, and in time we reached the raihvay station at Heneratgoda. 
 Hei-e as I could get neither gharri nor rickshaw, I was obliged to charter 
 a bullock "hackerv." 
 
22 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Growth of Hevea Trees at Heneratgoda — Their Yield at Various Ages — 
 Visit to Peradeniya — Director Willis and His Work — Canker Fungus in 
 Hevea and its Treatment by Mr. Carruthers — Railway's in Ceylon — Plan- 
 tation Scenes — Leeches and Other Insect Pests. 
 
 AIjULLUCK liackery is a small two-wheeled cart, gjtudilv painted, 
 with oilcloth top, no springs, and a seat on which sits the driver, 
 so close to the little hump-backed bullock that he easily twists 
 his tail, or punches his ribs to make him trot, wdiile the passenger, sitting- 
 back to the driver, clings as Ijest he maw It is a most ierkv mode of 
 
 bullock hackery and rickshaw, COLOMBO. 
 
 progression, as the bullock starts and stops with surprising suddenness; 
 indeed, his whole progress is a series of jerks against which it is difficult 
 to guard. Were it not for the little step behind on which one"s feet 
 rest, it would be impossible to hold on ior more than five or six minutes. 
 The bullock is a tough little beast, about four feet high at the shoulders, 
 and is supposedly guided by a pair of rope reins that run through his 
 nostrils. He is, how^ever, more influenced by the half bark, half yell, 
 of the driver, and the vigornus tail-twisting that he indulges in on 
 occasion. 
 
AND Tilli MALAY STATES 
 
 23 
 
 I't'oin the station I rude tlir< iu,l;1i a most (Il'Hsl'In- ])o])ulatc'(l native 
 villai^c, with narrow streets and a smell of stale tish that was simply 
 appalling-. Here we gathered a lot of Hies, but as they ultimately settled 
 on the bullock's hum[). no especial annoyance came from their presence. 
 Finally we reached the entrance to the gardens, turned in. and in due 
 time found Mr. Perira. who at once j)ut himself at my disposal. ( )n the 
 way he showed me some Ccara rubber trees which appeared to have 
 i;rown well, but as that tree in Ce_\lon has not proved i)rotital)le, it was 
 
 EXPERIMENT GARDEN. I'EKADENIV A. 
 
 [Ceara rubber in foreground.] 
 
 to me of only transient interest. I did, however, measure one. twenty 
 years old. which was two feet in diameter three feet from the ground, 
 and was probalih- fiftv feet high. That it contained some latex I proved 
 by cutting into it. 
 
 A short distance awa_\-. on a somewhat lower level, was a grove of 
 Hcvcas twenty years old, sixty to seventy feet high. They were planted 
 about ten feet apart, and had taken full possession of the soil, no weeds 
 
24 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 or grass growing in the dense shade they cast. The trees looked verv 
 healthy, with smooth bark and straight limbs, the branches appearing 
 about thirty feet from the ground. There were about three hundred 
 trees in this lot. They have been tapped experimentally a few times, but 
 they are kept as seed bearers rather than rubber producers. The soil 
 
 I'ERADENIVA GARDEN. 
 
 [Castilloa dastica planted among cocoanut palms.] 
 
 is gravelly, but seems to grow almost anything. The land is but thirty- 
 three feet above the sea level, and the annual rainfall less than one 
 hundred inches. 
 
 Not far from here is the oldest ])lanting of Hczra at this place. 
 These are trees about thirty years old. They are fine specimens, with 
 massive trunks three or more feet in diameter. As a rule the trunks 
 
.^XI) THIi MALAY ST AT US 
 
 25 
 
 are strai.^-ht, single stems, but here several of the larj^a-r ones liave (hvidcd 
 trunks. 1 liad a look at a few specimens of the Casdlloa clastica, but 
 they (lid not appear to be doing well. I was also interested to see a 
 good specimen of the Landolphia Horida, which did not strike me as 
 a vine that it would be at all profitable to cultivate. 
 
 PORTION OF OLD "HEVEa" TREE. 
 
 [Showing proper healing of wounds that do not pass 
 _ through the cambium, and injury caused by those that 
 ■ go too deep. Wounds made by chisel and mallet. 
 Heneratgoda Garden : tree 13 years old.] 
 
 It IS here at Heneratgoda gardens that the first successful planting 
 of Tara rubber occurred, and what is more important, it is due to the 
 eminent scientists in charge of this garden and that at Peradeniya that 
 we have any sort of knowledge of the growth and productiveness of 
 the Hevea tree under cultivation. Their work dates back to 1876 under 
 
26 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 Director Thwaites, when 70.000 seeds, sent from the x\mazon to Kevv 
 gardens. London, were set out, only four per cent, of them germinating. 
 Fropi there al>out two thousand plants were sent in wardian cases to 
 •Ceylon in charge of an experienced man, Mr. W. Chapman, and ninety 
 per cent, reached the gardens in an excellent condition. These were 
 set out in haniboo pots and the next season were transferred from Pera- 
 deniya to Heneratgoda and flourished almost from the beginning, but 
 the planters had set their hearts on the Ceara tree and paid little atten- 
 
 "HEVEA BR.XSILIENSIS. 
 
 [Leaves and nuts on greatly reduced scale.] 
 
 lion to the reports that the Director of the Gardens, Dr. Trinien, Dr. 
 Thwaites' successor, made from time to time as to their growth. 
 
 In 1883 several of the Hcvca trees at Heneratgoda flowered, and 
 from the ripened seeds two hundred and sixty plants were raised and dis- 
 tributed to various planters. One year later, one thousand plants were 
 raised in the same way and sent out. 
 
 In 1886, the Para plantation at Heneratgoda was thinned out, all 
 of the smaller trees being cut down, after which there was a noticeable 
 improvement in the growth of the remainder. Seeds were sent that 
 
AND Tim MALAY STATUS 27 
 
 year t.) janiaiai. Madras. Ran-., on. IVnan-. and the botanic gardens 
 at I'.uitcnzcjr.u-. Java, while from tlic crop ..f iS.SS there were "sent to 
 the Straits Settlements some 11.500, to-etlKT with 1.000 to the I-iji 
 Islands. 
 
 Dr. Trimen made annua! measurements of a typical tree at licner- 
 atgoda. which are as follows, the tree being planted in 1876. The meas- 
 in-ements are circumferenlial, an.l taken, as is the custom, three feet 
 from tlie grtJimd : 
 
 Trimen. 1880 , ft. 4 in. '^'^^^ ^^^^ °^ ^^^^ ^'^O'^^ measure- 
 
 1881 ' ■' y " nients was taken bv Director Trim- 
 
 ,883 .'.'.'.'2 " 6" " *-"'^' '"^*^ ^'^^' ^'-^^^^^ I'y Director Willis, 
 
 1884 3" " his successor, who savs verv iusth- 
 
 1885 3 " 7 " I ' ' " 
 
 1886 4 " I " tliat more useful data is secured by 
 
 '887 4" 5'4 " measurements that give the mean 
 
 1888 S " o " 
 
 1889 5 " 5 " fci'i'th ot all the trees. He therefore 
 
 Willis. 1890 5" 9^ " measured in 1807, fortv-five trees 
 
 iSgr 6 " I " , , , , . 
 
 1892 6" 5 " "^^^ stand about thirty teet apart. 
 
 ^^93 6" 7V2 " that were then twentv-two vears 
 
 1804 6 " 8 
 
 old. The measurement was taken 
 
 at al)out si teet from the ground. The largest tree was 7 feet 5 inches, 
 
 the smallest 2 feet i inch, the mean girth being 4f feet. 
 
 In this connection it is interesting to note the measurements of wild 
 
 Hcz-ca trees made by Robert Cross in 1877, near Para. These trees 
 
 had been tapped for from five to fifteen years, and their age was 
 
 No. I 6 ft. 9111 ^"'l<'i"\vn. The figures are given here- 
 
 No. 2 6 " 10 " with. 
 
 No. 3 4 " 7 " 
 
 No. 4 ^ ■■ o •' these measurements were 
 
 No. 5 5 •• 10 " taken at three feet from the ground. It 
 
 No' 7 J ■• o " '^^'ould seem, therefore, that the trees at 
 
 No. 8 5" to " Heneratgoda had about reached their 
 
 2°- 9 4 " o ■' crrowth. 
 
 No. to 4 " 6 " ^ 
 
 No. II 4"^ 8 " It IS as a seed-bearing proposition 
 
 J^°' ^" -" ^ " that the garden I was visiting appealed 
 
 Mean 410 » ft 
 
 to me most. A hasty bit of figuring gave 
 nie the total of between 3,000,000 and 4,000.000 Para seeds that had 
 been sent (nit to planters all over the Eastern tropical world. A wonder- 
 fully practical piece of work and one for which the tropical planter 
 should be devoutlv thankful. 
 
28 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 One of the few tapping experiments extending over a series of 
 }ears was carried out at Heneratgoda under the late Dr. Trimen. He 
 selected a twelve-year-old tree that was 50^ inches in girth, three feet 
 from the ground. This was tapped the first, third, fifth, seventh, and 
 ninth years, the product being thirteen pounds seven ounces of dry 
 rubber. As in any of the tapping years but seventeen tappings were 
 caken, and they were well distributed through the twelve months, it 
 would seem as if the tree might just as well have been producing every 
 year instead of every other year, and that its average of one and one- 
 half pounds a year might just as well have been three pounds. 
 
 1EKAI;ENIYA GARDEN ENTRANCE. 
 
 These experiments were followed by others by Director Willis, in 
 which from smaller trees he secured on an average about one-half pound 
 a tree, but where the trees were planted much more closely together. A 
 curious fact in connection with the two experiments is that, supposing 
 the Trimen trees had been tapped yearly and produced three pounds 
 each, and the Willis trees produced one-half pound each, the result 
 would mean the same production per acre, as the former stood fifty to 
 the acre, while the latter were three hundred, in either case the produc- 
 tion reaching one hundred fifty ])<)un(ls ]^er acre. 
 
AM) '!///■: M.ILAY STATUS 
 
 29 
 
 These yields, by the way. are not large, as Heneratgoda is not to 
 be compared with other parts of Ceylon as a rubber producing locality. 
 The many other and valuable experiments that were carried out here 
 and at I'eradeniya would fill volumes. Exhaustive experiments were 
 made, for example, as to the kind of incision that gave the best results, 
 whether the "herriniif bone," the X- '^^ V, or the single / was the best 
 with records carefully kej)! and compared to lead to the right conclusion. 
 
 Then, too, experiments by the score were made to find what part of 
 the tree was the best to tap. whether near the base or high up on the 
 trunk. In addition to this, a long series of ex])eriments in the coagu- 
 
 'FICLS ELASTICA. I'EKADKMVA CARHEX. 
 
 [Showing spreading buttressed roots.] 
 
 lation of the latex were instituted both by centrifugal machinery and bv 
 the employment of a variety of acids. It is due directly to this investi- 
 gation that the Ceylon planter to-day. if he wishes to hasten the coagu- 
 lation, adds a few drops of acetic acid to the latex. Xor were these 
 experiments done in secret. The results were published and scattered 
 broadcast among planters all through the tropical world, with wonder- 
 ful results for good. 
 
 After a hasty look at the magnificent palms, of which the garden 
 has more than fifty varieties, the banana, pepper, and other plants. I 
 resumed my hackery, and jolted back to the railwav. As the return 
 
30 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 train was not clue for half an hour, I went to the "Rest House," a hotel 
 owned by the government and run by a trusty native, where I had an 
 excellent breakfast. I paid the fixed charges, signed mv name to the 
 visitors' book, saying that I was well pleased, and walking on to the 
 station, caught the train back to Colombo. In the afternoon I hired a 
 jinrikisha, and rode around the town. These "rickshaws"' are simply 
 huge perambulators drawn by a half naked coolie who trots along all 
 day content with ten cents an hour (gold). Most of the rickshaws are 
 old and rattley, but a few lately introduced have pneumatic tires, and 
 it is only a question of time before they will all have them. 
 
 As Director Willis had been good enough to invite me to make my 
 home with him when I went up country to visit the Peradeniya gardens, 
 and as I had only one suit of white fiannels, I got the tailor at the Galle 
 Face to make me another. I was measured in the morning and the suit 
 was delivered that evening. It cost ten rupees [=about $3.64] for the 
 making, and the man who delivered it got two rupees, because the tailor, 
 his master, was such a hard man to work for, and the boy who was with 
 the man who delivered it got one rupee because of some affliction that 
 he had sufifered, and the dog that accompanied the bov who was with 
 the man — well, he didn't get anything, but I vow he sat up and be^^ged 
 just as long as I was in sight. 
 
 I made an early start for Peradeniya, which means "guava plain." 
 going by the government railway in a very comfortable first-class car 
 that is a sort of coinprontise between the American smoking car and 
 the English compartment car, and about half the size. The government 
 railways, by the way, are pretty generally good in Ceylon. The ecpiip- 
 ment is all that could be expected, although the cars are small ; the 
 freight cars, for example, being twelve-ton affairs with corrugated iron 
 roofs, and the locomotives look very light. The raihvav stations, how- 
 ever, are extremely good, and in most of them a white man need not 
 wait at the ticket window, but may march into the agent's sanctum, 
 and get his ticket before the natives are served. The profits that the 
 railroads earn is expended on the carriage roads, a plan that some praise 
 and some condemn. Anyhow, the latter roads are first-class, and an 
 automobilist could go from one end of the island to the other if the 
 ele])hants did not object. 
 
 Soon we were bidden to the "refreshment carriage" where a good 
 breakfast was served for about sixty cents, after which I sat on the shadv 
 side in my car, and took note of the great paddy fields in which sullen 
 water bufYalo wallowed and fed, and where natives, clad onlv in l)reech- 
 
AX/) run M.ir.lV STATES 
 
 31 
 
 cloths .-nid (lauI)C(l frdiii licad to foot in clayey mud, toiled in a half 
 hearted way. 'Idien the scenery became more interestinji: as \\c- climbed 
 to hio;her ground, the road running above a winding valle\ where great 
 stretches of jungle were broken by banana and rice ])'antations, with 
 
 "liEXDROCALAMUS GKJAXTEUS." 
 
 [Giant bamboos in the Peradeniya Gardens, showing the young 
 shoots, and a section of one.] 
 
 occasional glimpses of splendid government carriage roads, while rugged 
 mountain ranges in the distance made an effective background. 
 
 Every now and then we stopped at a neat railway station, crowded 
 with natives, interspersed with a few Europeans, for whom, by the way, 
 the first-class waiting rooms and cars are alwavs reserved. Between 
 
2>^ 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 Polgahawela and Rambukkana, by the side of the track, is a very con- 
 siderable plantation of Hevea, covering some sixty acres, the trees being- 
 planted about eight feet apart. They are about three years old. and 
 would average, for a guess, thirty feet in height. 
 
 Further on, as we still ascended, the valley below was often a series 
 of terraced paddy plots for miles. Then as we still skirted the valley, 
 
 PERAPENIY.\ GARDEN. 
 
 [Mr. Carriithers inoculating a young //I'xn/ with Canker.] 
 
 which was farther and farther below us, we crept through man\- tumiels, 
 •clung to the sides of ]jrecipices, getting occasional glimpses of Adam's 
 I'eak. the famous mountain of the island, and still far below, we saw 
 winding through the jungle — crossing rivers — the white roads, hard, 
 smooth, wide, equal to any park roads at home, and then up, up, we 
 climbed, the cabbage ])alnis, bread fruit trees, and trojncal grinvths now 
 finding their home on the rocks, or in the wash of steep mountain ravines. 
 
AND THE MALAY STATES 
 
 33 
 
 'riic air was ra])iill\' ,s4ri»\viiiL; drier, a (IcciiIlmI relief after the steamy 
 atni<)S])liere at the sea level : nor <li<l 1 note the heat as 1 leaned out to see 
 as much as possible of the j^rcat tea plantations that now I'llled the 
 valle\s, and encroached often on the stee]) hill and mountain sides. The 
 soil, where it was in e\'idence, had a reddish look, and woulil not stig_e;est 
 fertility were it not fnr the luxuriant growth it produced. 
 
 .\fter a journew full of intense interest, we reached I'eradeniya 
 station, and. alii^htiu^- from the train, 1 fotind Director Willis awaitinj^;' 
 me. One of his coolies took m\- lu^-^a^e in charge, while his master and 
 I walked U]) the broad, shaded road that runs 1)\- the beautiful entrance 
 
 'FU LS BENGALENSIS — BANYAN TREE 
 
 [In the main street at Kalatnra.] 
 
 to the Ro\al Botanic (hardens. A few minutes brought us to the Willis 
 bungalow, a very jiretty two-story house, set on a little eminence, and 
 hemmed in with foliage plants, flowers, and magnificent shade trees. As 
 the new governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry PJlake. had requested the presence 
 of my host in Colombo, he turned me over for the moment to ATr. J. B. 
 Carruthers, f. i.. s., the mycologist and assistant director. Mr. Car- 
 ruthers, by the way, had but just returned from a month's visit to various 
 Hcvca plantations, where he had been studying the canker that had 
 appeared upon some of the Hcvca trees. He was of the opinion that 
 
34 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 the alertness of the planters in discovering the disease in its first stages, 
 and calling for expert advice, would result in its extinction before serious 
 harm came to the trees. 
 
 The disease, although new to the Hczra as far as known, has long 
 been an enemy to apple trees, cacao, tea, etc.. and frequently kills the 
 tree or shrub upon which it grows. Mr. Carruthers, when first it 
 appeared, examined portions of diseased trees, and recognized the fungus 
 as a species of ncctria. He then visited both the government planta- 
 tions of Hcvca and the larger private plantations. In one district. Kala- 
 tura, he found only one tree in two hundred affected, but ontheEdan- 
 goda estate, twenty per cent, of the trees were diseased; while at Yati- 
 porua there were forty per cent. The appearance of the fungus on the 
 trees is a swelling or roughening of portions of the tree trunk or branches. 
 If the outer bark is cut oft", the tissue beneath shows at first a neutral tint, 
 and later a brownish or claret color. When the fruit of the fungus ripens, 
 it is a very minute red dot which is carried by the wind, by water, or by 
 tree insects, to a moist spot on the bark of the same or another tree, and 
 there it thrives, and soon fills the tissues with its iiiyccliinii. 
 
 It was practically eradicated by cutting out the diseased portions 
 and the burning of them. This is best done in dry weather. Nor did 
 the cutting of the trees appear in any way to weaken them or hinder 
 their growth. Mr. Carruthers had brought with him some cultures with 
 which he proceeded to inoculate a young Hcvca tree, while I stole away 
 into the grass with my back to the sun, turned my kodak upon him. and 
 pressed the button. A moment later, happening to glance downward. I 
 saw that the grass was fairly alive with leeches, all making their way 
 toward me. I retreated very hastily, and at once began a frantic search 
 for them about my person. I found a lot on my shoes, trousers, 
 and outer clothing, Init was lucky enough to remove the last one before 
 getting bitten. 
 
 Speaking of insect pests, there are very few in Ceylon that are 
 troublesome to man — at least I saw or felt but few. The mosquito was, 
 of course, more or less in evidence, but I did not get too badly bitten. I 
 did, however, resent its mode of attack. It does not approach you with 
 a song, but. in a silent, crafty, suspicious way, alights, bites, and fiees. 
 So suspicious is the creature that it is almost impossible to clap it on 
 the back, as is the custom in America when he has succeeded in punc- 
 turing one's epidermis. It, therefore, has no friends, and beds every- 
 where are enclosed in huge nnislin screens ; otherwise one would be 
 constantly bored. 
 
JM) Tllli M.IL.W STATUS 
 
 35 
 
 There is also the Iccvli. It lives, not in the water, l)ut in the grass, 
 and in the juni^le. When exercising- on an empty stomach, it is very 
 small, ahont the diameter of a knillin.-^-needle, and from one-half to 
 one and one-lialf inches in length. ( hi liearing footsteps, it hastens 
 toward the sound, getting over the ground at a surprising rate of speed 
 for so tiny a creature, and without hesitation attacks instantly. If left 
 to themselves, they till them.selves with blood, swelling to the size of 
 one's little finger, and then drop off. Xor does this end the incident, 
 for during their meal they inject something into the veins, which keeps 
 
 YOUNG "HEVEA" trees. 
 
 [Planted among tea along a watercourse, in Kalatura.] 
 
 the blood from clotting, and the wound therefore remains open and goes 
 on bleeding. If roughly removed during feeding, it is verv apt to leave 
 its teeth in the wound, which causes inflammation, and. in some cases, 
 troublesome sores. The best way to treat them is to wear close-knit 
 stockings, into which the lower ends of the trouser legs should be 
 tucked. This keeps most of them off, but if they do get on one, a few 
 drops squeezed from a fresh lime makes them let go at once. Manv of 
 the natives, who expect to encounter leeches, carry a lime or two with 
 them. Others simply pull them off, and take the chance of having an 
 inflamed wound. In certain districts these leeches are a great pest!^ but 
 as the land comes unrler cultivation, they gradually disappear. It is said 
 
36 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 that during the conquest of the island by the British, many a private 
 soldier lav down in the jungle after an exhausting day's march and 
 never awoke, his veins being literally drained dry by the swarming 
 leeches. Thev are as tough as if made of India-rubber, and about the 
 only way to kill them is with fire. If cut in two, the separated parts 
 will join together again, and they are always voracious, active, and 
 absolutely devoid of fear. 
 
AND rilli MALAY STATUS 
 
 37 
 
 THIRD Ll<:'rTKR. 
 
 Tapping Rubber Trees at Pkkademva Gakijex— Visit to the New Experi- 
 ment Station— Seventy-five ^'KAu Old Ficus Elastua— The Sti/mp Speech — 
 Kandv— Temple nv the Sacred Tooth— Hotel Tips — On the Way to Kalatura 
 -Early Tea at the "Rest House"— M-. Harrison and Culloben Estate. 
 
 STEAKING again of canker, and the absence of the disease on the 
 South American Hcrca trees, Mr. Carruthers said that it was 
 (inite possilile that individual trees* there might have l)een attacked 
 by it, but as the trees are wikl, and grow singly, the disease, after exhaust- 
 ing its victim, would probably die out, as it would have no other Hevca 
 
 SATINWOOU BRIDGE, PERADENIYA. 
 
 near enough to reach. This, of course, led up to what has been proved 
 since planting of any sort has been carried on on any considerable scale. 
 That is. the occurrence of diseases and insects unknown before, but which 
 found in great plantings of a single kind the most favorable field for 
 rapid growth and rejiroduction. 
 
38 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 It was while discussing these subjects that we visited the adminis- 
 tration buildings of the gardens. They are neat and business like, and 
 with their tropical setting form a very pretty picture. We visited the 
 museum, where sections of the woods, in which the island is very rich, 
 are displayed ; while seeds, fruits, and everything pertaining to the life 
 of the plant growths are carefully prepared and preserved. He also 
 showed me the offices of Director Willis, his own laboratory — where 
 some very interesting experiments in determining the vitality of the 
 Hevca nut were then being carried on — introduced me to Air. E. E. 
 Green, f. e. s., the government entomologist, and then led me to some 
 of the fifteen-year-old Para trees, which we tapped. It was really too 
 
 ■ HEVEA AT EDANGODA. 
 
 [Government Forest Department plantation, 8 years old. Mr. 
 F. Lewis, assistant conservator of forests.] 
 
 near the middle of the day for the latex to do more than ooze out very 
 slowly. The tool used is well known. It only needed a very few cuts 
 with it, however, to convince me of its usefulness ; indeed, for the Hcvca 
 it is far superior to any form of machete that I have seen. 
 The incision is really a drawing cut that takes out a stri]) 
 of bark, laying the cambium bare. The cut is clean, small 
 and may be made by the most unskilled coolie with but 
 little chance of injuring the tree. I had with me a small two-bladed 
 tapping-axe, invented by a friend in the United States, which I had 
 brought along to test. We all tried it, but the simple little tool far 
 
AND Tim MALAY SJATJiS 39 
 
 outdistanced it. Leaving tlie collecting and straining (jf the latex to 
 the coolies, Mr. Carrnthers took me to his hungalow for breakfast, which 
 meal dccurs at n<i(in, and there we discussed various phases of rul)l)er 
 planting. In referring to the government ])lantati()ns of Hd'ca. he said 
 that there were about one hundred and fifty acres now planted, and it had 
 not been decided yet just how the\- would be administered. According 
 to his figuring, these plantings cost about 1,200 rupees [=$389.32! an 
 acre when matured. If thev are to be leased under proper restrictions, 
 the opinion seemed to be that the govermnent should not reap more than 
 five per cent, interest on its venture. IVut most of the experts think that 
 it would be better for the government to sell the plantations as near cost 
 as possible. For further information he referred me to Mr. l\ Lewis, the 
 assistant ct)nservator of forests. Colombo. 
 
 The following morning we crossed the Mahaweli River, a deep, 
 swift, muddv stream flowing by the gardens, to visit the great experi- 
 ment stations that are under the charge of Mr. Herbert Wright. A. r. c. 
 .s. There is no bridge, so one is ferried across in a very narrow wooden 
 dugout, with the usual outrigger one side to prevent upsetting. This 
 experiment garden is new, and contains about 1.200 acres. I believe, and 
 takes in the native villages of (iangaruwa and Yatiyalagala. 
 
 Mr. Wright kindly piloted me over the sections devoted to rul)ber 
 planting. Just to see what the Casfilloa and the Ceara rubber will do 
 in that climate under varying conditions ; he has many different plots, 
 both in the shade and in the open. I'erhaps the most interesting is the 
 planting of the former where it is shaded by cocoanut trees. All of 
 these rul;ber plots were small of course, and the trees very voung, so 
 that at the present it is impossible to sav what results will be attained. 
 
 As we walked about the place, it occurred to me to learn just how 
 hot it was. and I found that it was 127° F. in the sun. and the guess was 
 that it was about 85 "" in the shade. As we were in the sun most of the 
 time, we had no reason to feel a chill. 
 
 In the afternoon. Director Willis having returned, we had a look 
 at the Ficiis clastica trees planted some seventy-five years ago. They 
 are hugt? growths, and unlike the Straits trees of the same name, do not 
 send dov.n aerial roots, but instead form great root buttresses. They 
 produce little if any latex, as my own tapping experiments abundantly 
 proved. Further than that, they are dying, so that every now and then 
 it becomes necessary to fell one of them, for if it unexpectedlv dropped 
 its one hundred and fifty feet of length across the carriage road, a serious 
 accident might result. 
 
40 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 Speaking of the Hcz'ca plantings in the island, Mr. Willis said that 
 at that time there were about ii,ooo acres, and as the annual production 
 of seeds was about 3,000,000, he thoug-ht that the planting increase 
 
 PERADENIYA GARDEN. 
 
 [Planted Castilloa clastica and cacao.] 
 
 would be about 5.000 acres annually. He said that the Hevca could 
 undoubtedly be planted in sheltered valleys, up to 4,000 feet altitude. In 
 many situations the trees would mature more slowly, their growth depend- 
 ing upon the rainfall, and the richness of the soil. At Peradeniva those 
 
AND in J: M.\l..l)- ST.ITJiS 
 
 41 
 
 that had iiialurcd more slowly had produced latex as i^ood and ahutidant 
 as had the others. The Casfilloa had proved itself more tender than 
 he could wisli, and the s^eneral sentiment amon^- the j)lanters was that 
 it would nut he as protitaljJe a venture. Speaking- of rainfall at Pera- 
 deni}a, tliey could always reckon upon ninety inches quite well distrib- 
 uted. Labor, of course, is very cheap, ten cents a day being the regular 
 wage, shelter being furnished, but not food or clothing. 
 
 As an incident to this visit, I walked over the gardens, l)v well-kept 
 roads, shaded b\' magnificent trees, and visited the "hot house" for 
 orchids. As there is also a tea factorv near the gardens, Mr. Willis 
 
 KUBliF.R TREES KILLED BY FLOOD. 
 
 [Part of a Forest Department Hcz'ca plantation in a valley snb- 
 ject to flood, showing- the wa}- in whicli the tlooded trees died.] 
 
 was good enough to take me through that, and show me every process, 
 the plucking, withering, rolling, drying, sorting, and packing, all of 
 which was most interesting. After taking leave of Director Willis atid 
 his good wife, ]\lr. and Mrs. Carruthers, and all who had made my stay 
 so pleasant, I took the train for Kandy. four miles away, where I planned 
 to spend the afternoon with a steamer friend, and do a bit of sightseeing. 
 As I waited for the train, I was conscious of careful inspection on the 
 part of a man near me. He was a nice, well-fed, self-satisfied old gentle- 
 man, who sat by my side in one of the three cane-seated chairs that 
 stand on the depot platform for the use of the white patrons of the rail- 
 road. 
 
42 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 "You couldn't have cane-bottomed chairs in a railway station in 
 America, now, could you ?"' said he to me. 
 
 "Why not?"' I asked, much surprised. 
 
 "On account of the extraordinary habit you Americans have of 
 standing on chairs, and making- stump speeches," he responded with con- 
 viction. 
 
 That he was in dead earnest, and that no denial of mine would 
 affect his belief, one look at his countenance showed. It seemed a pity 
 that he should not add to his store of knowledge along that line, so I 
 said carelessly : 
 
 "That, of course, used to be so a few years ago. Indeed, it was a 
 great nuisance. In public and private, at the theatre, at concerts, at 
 receptions, even in church, stump speakers would suddenlv mount chairs 
 and harangue all in sight. It was a disease, you know, caused bv a 
 germ that was bred in the cotton fields of Xew Hampshire." 
 
 "Fancy!" gasped m\- listener. 
 
 "Oh yes, pure and simple," I continued (referring to his exclama- 
 tion). The germ is known as the Scptciuiis vocif evens, and I may sav 
 modestly that it was due to a little invention oi mv own that it is no 
 longer feared in America." 
 
 "How interesting! And pray what was your invention?" 
 
 "Is it possible that you never heard of Pearson's Patent ( )rator 
 Discourager?" I asked with pained surprise. "It sold verv well; indeed, 
 I made a comfortable sum out of it. Quite simple it was, but it did the 
 work. It was, in a word, a semi-spherical rubber spring, so placed 
 beneath the chair bottom that when one tried to step there, he was 
 instanly thrown over backwards, the shock killing the germ, but rarely 
 injuring the man. If, however, one sat in the chair, the spring had no 
 effect." 
 
 "Very ingenious ! A most excellent device ! I congratulate you !" 
 exclaimed my listener, warmly. "Of course, it was onlv useful in your 
 own country." 
 
 "I was coming to that. Having sold all I can in America, I am now 
 about to prepare a foreign market for it." 
 
 "But — but no one makes stump speeches here, for instance!" he 
 said. 
 
 "Ah, that's just it. They don't now, but they will. Our lalioratory 
 is working night and day ])r()ducing healthy cultures of the germ. I am 
 
AND Tim MALAY STATUS 
 
 43 
 
 traveling around tlie world plantino- them everywhere. They are invis- 
 ible, j^ractically. The ])aek <if your ehair this moment is covered with 
 them where m\- hand rested jjetore _\-ou eamc alon^'. 1 Icre is my train, 
 (iood hye." 
 
 .\s the train left the station, a once peaceful and scll-satisficd ency- 
 clopedia of American habits, with red face and anxious mien, was stand- 
 ing- far awa\' from the three chairs, and making- a stump s])eech to a larg-e 
 
 SENSATION ROCK, NE.\R K.\NDY. 
 
 crowd of bewildered coolies. Those germs worked so quicklv on him 
 that I almost believed in their existence. 
 
 A few minutes later I was in Kandy. and comfortabh- established 
 at the Queen's Hotel. 
 
 The city of Kandy (Hill town) is noted chiefly as having- been the 
 seat of the Kandyan kings, the possessor of the temple of the Sacred 
 Tooth, and at the present time for having onlv one hotel, "The Queen's," 
 
44 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 where a German tourist finds good entertainment for about two dollars 
 a day, while an American or an Englishman must pay five dollars. The 
 city lies in a lovely valley, and is built around an artificial lake, on an 
 island, in the middle of which once stood the royal harem. The walks 
 and drives around the city, over beautifully kept roads that ascend with 
 only the slighest grades, are simplv ideal. 
 
 As a matter of duty, I visited the Buddhist temple of the Sacred 
 Tooth during service. It was after nightfall, and the beating of the tom- 
 toms and noise of conches were almost deafening. I secured a guide at 
 the main entrance, or rather he secured me, and, accompanied bv two 
 .■self-elected explainers, and a boy carrying a lighted candle, we went 
 
 KAXnV — LADV HORTON S WALK. 
 
 from one shrine to another, giving up contributions of small change 
 before each, jostled by crowding worshippers, laden with fruit and 
 flowers. 
 
 Of the things that linger in my memory, the library of Singal- 
 ese sacred literature is most prominent. There are hundreds of volumes, 
 the leaves of the books being strips of fiber from the Tallipot palm, 
 the letters l)eing etched into the surface and then filled with ink. They 
 are beautifully bound in gold and silver, and ornamented with jewels. 
 There was also an image of the god. three feet high, of solid gold, as well 
 as one carved out of a single block of crystal, some ten inches in heieht. 
 
AND TlllL M.IL.IV SI ATliS 45 
 
 'ilicn tluTc were c<)])])rr, i\(iry, silxcr, and .l;<i1(1 carxing and liligroc 
 work that would look just as well in AnK-rica. hut there were too many 
 around. I did not see the Sacred Tooth, which is carefully "guarded, 
 and needs an order from the ,e^overnment hefore one is permitted to 
 view it. The true helievers are sure that it was once a part of Ihiddha's 
 dental e(|uipment, while the scientists say it belong^ed to a crocodile. 
 
 I didn't tarry long- in Kandy, but took the morning- train back to 
 Colombo, as I now had more definite knowledge of the typical planta- 
 tions, and how to reach them, as well as letters to the men in charge. 
 Perhaps, as a hint to others, I should say that when I left the hotel in 
 Kandy, after paying my bill, the following servants put in a claim for 
 tips: Bedroom man, hath man, head ])orter, waiter, doorman, gharri 
 driver, the porter who puts your l)ag into the train, and anv other native 
 who can catch your eye. 
 
 It was earlv in the morning when the writer and Miguel de Silva. 
 the Singalese plant collector at Peradeniya, who was loaned me l)y 
 Director ^^'illis, entered rickshaws and started for Slave Island station, 
 on our wav to Kalutara. For some distance the railroad follows the 
 sea coast, disclosing the beautiful villas of Europeans, native fishing 
 villages, and the blue sea itself. According to custom. ^^liguel rode 
 with the natives, and I, in the car reserved for the whites, was not able 
 to question him as I had planned. A friendlv planter, however, did 
 explain that the land over which we were passing was very valuable, 
 through the palms which grew upon it, that were used in the production 
 of the native liquor, "arrak."" He said also that the ownership of these 
 palms was most complex, one tree often being owned jointlv bv as man\- 
 as five natives. I had noticed that many of them had a wattle of reeds 
 braided about the stem some six feet from the ground, and was amused 
 to learn that this was to guard against thieves. It seems that the night 
 climber cannot surmount this apparently flimsy barrier, nor remove it 
 without making such a crackling that the owner is awakened sufficientlv 
 to remonstrate — usually with a knife. 
 
 Arriving at Kalutara, Miguel appeared, and with a commanding^ 
 gesture secured a coolie to carry my bag, and we wended our wav to 
 the "Rest House" for breakfast. As the day was already a scorcher, its 
 broad verandahs, square rooms, and cement floors gave one an impression 
 of coolness which was truly grateful. Here I had "earlv tea." consist- 
 ing of "papaya" (the luscious fruit of the paw paw tree), ham and eggs, 
 bread, butter, and cofifee — an excellent meal, the whole charge for which 
 was, I believe, one rupee. 
 
46 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 After Ijreakfast (I would say "early tea"") we secured a gharri, 
 drawn by a horse that must have been a survival of the Portuguese occu- 
 pation, so ancient was he, and started ofif for Tabeuwana. five miles 
 away, where was another rest house. One advantage of the horse over 
 the automobile, and the slow horse over the fast one, is that it allows 
 one to take in the beauties of the scenery to a greater degree. The 
 languid creature to which I had entrusted myself gave me ample chance 
 to enjoy the cinnamon groves, the cocoanut plantations, and the paddy 
 
 CEARA RUBBER TREE. 
 
 [At Polgahawella ; planted about 1886.] 
 
 fields. Besides this, I was interested in the natives, and when we mean- 
 dered slowly through a village with the houses close to the road, and 
 smelling like a fish glue factory that had soured over night, I simply held 
 my nose, but kept my eyes wide open — and saw much that is not set down 
 here. We tarried at the "Rest House" at Tabeuwana only long enough 
 iov noon breakfast and then pushed on for Culloden, which, Ijv the way, 
 is in Neboda, or at least that is the nearest postofiice. The roads were 
 good, as all in Ceylon are, and there are some 4,000 miles of them, but 
 the scenery liegan to show a decided change. The countr\- became more 
 
■/.\7^ 77//: M.IL.IV Sl'ATliS 
 
 47 
 
 hilly, great masses n\ hlack gneiss showing (lul lliriiUjuh the luxuriant 
 foliage. I'inally, wc ascended a long hill, turned into a tea plantation, 
 and leaving the gharri, followed a winding path\va\- to a ])rettv bunga- 
 low, situated where it commanded a view of much of the surronnding 
 country and even gave a glim])se of the sea in the far distance. Here 
 I was met and welcomed 1)\- Mr. R. W. Harrison, and a neighbor, Mr. 
 J. T. Withers, of Clontarf. 
 
 It was really too hot just then to start out to \ie\v the rubber, so 
 we sat in huge planters" chairs that have broad shelf-like arms that 
 
 VIEW FROM HILLY ROAD NEAR CCLLODEN. 
 
 extend far otit in front, arranged so that the lounger can have his feet 
 as high as his head, and talked planting experiences. 
 
 Culloden is. of course, primarily a tea estate, beautifullv laid out 
 with fine gravel roads all over it. and not a weed to be seen at anv time 
 in all of its broad acres. Indeed, the weeding of crops in Cevlon has 
 been reduced to an exact science. It is all done Iw contract, and costs 
 thousands of potnids a year, but it efifectually stops the danger from fire 
 that an occasional cutting of the weeds invites. 
 
48 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 Air. Harrison, the manager at Culloden, is perhaps the best eqiiipi)ed 
 rubber planter in the island, either from the planting or gathering stand- 
 point. While he is in direct charge. of Culloden estate, which, in 1903, 
 produced 10,500 pounds of Para rubber, he had also supervisic!i over the 
 following estates : Heatherly, which produced, the same year, 3,500 pounds ; 
 
 FIFTEEN YEAR 0L» 'HEVEA TKEES. 
 
 [Planted among tea on an estate in Kalatura.] 
 
 Tudugala, 6,000 pounds ; Yatupauwa and Edengoda, 5,000 pounds. Thus 
 it will be seen that fully one-half of the early crops of Ceylon Para 
 passed through his hands, and in visiting him I was sure to l)e at the 
 center of the rubber planting interest. It might be well to remember 
 also that this 25,000 pounds annually, with a decided increase each year, 
 came from about 20,000 trees that on an average are eight years old. 
 
^ixn iiiii M.iL.i)- siwri'S 49 
 
 I-orUTll LI-.'i'TI-.R. 
 
 Rubber Trees anu Taitixg at Culloden — Night Tapping — Rubber Curing 
 House — Oil from Hevea Nuts— Cost of Para Rubber at Colombo — Arapola- 
 KANDA Estate — Smoking Ceylon Rubber — Sunnycroft Estate — Enemies of 
 the Hevea — A Touch ok Fkvkk — Thf. Forest Conservator — A Paddy Field 
 Experience. 
 
 AT the close of my first day at Culloden. when the sun had dropped 
 low enough to make it fairly comfortable in the open, at Mr. 
 Harrison's invitation, we started out to see the rubber. The 
 plantation is primarily for tea, the rubber having- been jjlanted later 
 through the tea and also in some of the valleys. The land is verv rocky, 
 ironstone abounding, but there must be something in the soil that 
 suits the Hci'ca, for it flourished wonderfully. The onlv place where 
 it did not appear to do well was in very low ground, where there was 
 no drainage. The swampy portions of the land have, therefore, been 
 thoroughly drained ; indeed, where some of the seven and eight vear 
 old rubber now is there had once been a bog where cattle were wont 
 to get mired. The rul)l)er on this soil, which was very rich, had some 
 three feet of drainage. Of course, it was to be expected that the Hci'ca 
 would grow in such soil as this, but I must confess that I was amazed 
 to see it flourishing far up on rocky hillsides, and sending its laterals in 
 all directions for food. The Hczra has proved itself, in Cevlon at least, 
 a most voracious surface feeder, and in this connection it is worth while 
 to examine the illustration of the uprooted tree held erect between two 
 cocoanut palms, with the laterals stretched right and left, showing a 
 growth longer than the tree trunk itself. The photograph from which 
 my illustration was made was taken by Mr. J. B. Carruthers, and is most 
 graphic. 
 
 The tapping of the trees begins just as soon as it is light in the 
 morning, for through the middle of the day the latex does not flow 
 freely, but starts up again about four in the afternoon and is continued 
 until dark. The trees are tapped when they show a girth of two feet, 
 without regard to their age. No ladders or supports are used in tappino-, 
 as it wasn't found profitable to tap higher than a coolie can reach while 
 standing on the ground. The tool is a very simple \'-shaped knife with 
 two cutting edges, and a single slanting cut about eight inches long has 
 been found to be best, a tin cup being placed under the lower end of 
 
50 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 the cut and held in positi(in liy forcing its sharp edge luider the bark. 
 These cuts, bv the wav, are about a foot apart, sometimes closer, and 
 all run in the same direction, the herring bone and the V-shaped cuts 
 
 "hevea rubber tree. 
 I Suspended, to show extensive lateral root growth.! 
 
 being no more in evidence. The practice is also followed now of cutting 
 a very thin shaving from one side of the cut, every other day: eleven 
 times, in other words, reopening instead of tapping. Before placing 
 
.1X1) 'run MALAY sr.i'n-s 
 
 51 
 
 tlu- tin cu]) under the cut, it is rinsed out in old water to keep the lalcx 
 ivi ni adhering- to the tin, and also to kee]) it froni too (juick a coajC^ula- 
 lion. While I was there, a \'ery interesting- ex])erinient in scra])inn- the 
 miter hark from the trees had just heen finishe<l. The results, as far 
 as could l)e determined, were such a stimulati<in to the lactiferous ducts 
 [hat the flow was increased nearly hfty ])er cent. The ohk-st trees on 
 this plantation, l)y the way, are ei.^iiteen years, and have ])roduced three 
 pounds a }ear : hy scrajjin^- the outer l)ark off the\- e.\])ect to ^et six 
 
 "HEVEA TKEES AT CLI.LUUEN'. 
 
 [Seven and eight years old.] 
 
 pounds a year from each of these. There are only a few of these older 
 trees, however, most of them bein": seven or eig^ht years of age. All 
 through the rubber orchards on this estate were hundreds of young 
 Para trees that were self sown ; indeed in many places thev had come 
 up so thickly as to be a nuisance. The workmen on this estate, one 
 hundred in number, are all Tamil coolies, as the Singalese do not care 
 to work, preferring to cultivate rice, a good crop of which insures them 
 
52 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 a two or three years' vacation. By the time we had examined a few 
 Casfilloa trees that were planted by way of experiment, night had faUen, 
 and we wended our way back to the Ijungalow, where, after a hot bath, 
 as is the custom of the country, we sat down to dinner in pajamas, the 
 "punkah walla"" stirring the heavy, moist air Ijy most vigorous pulls 
 at the "punkah" cord throughout t\v meal. 
 
 HEVEA TREES AT CULLODEN 
 
 [Eighteen years old from planting.] 
 
 The rainfall up here in Kalutara is rather more than down at the 
 coast, being, so I was informed, one hundred and forty-four inches, and 
 the maximum temperature 94° F. While I was there it was unusuallv 
 dry, yet the rubber looked well and there was a record of six weeks with- 
 out rain, wdiich had no apparent efifect upon it. The next morning we 
 
AND Tllli M.IL.IV STATUS 
 
 53 
 
 visited Dtlicr parts of the i)lantatii in, and saw a i,n't'at deal of Iiik- rul)l)cr. 
 At present there is an exeellent market for the seed, as so many new- 
 plantations are j^oiii^- in. As a bt-tter pre]jaration, however, against the 
 time when the seed will he a drut;- in the market, my host was experi- 
 mentins;- with an oil made from the seeds. With a rude native mill he 
 turned out an oil which the native women eai;erly purchased to burn 
 before their i.;ods, while the pressed cake made an excellent food for 
 cattle. During- the forenoon T saw a large Ceara rubber tree cut down 
 and it seemed to have no /(//(\r in it at all. 1 also saw a I'ara rubber tree, 
 
 -I I-:XE IX KELAXI VALLEY, ("EYLOX. 
 
 self sown, growino- out of a cleft in the rock where there was apparently 
 no soil, the trunk Ix'ing ten inches in diameter and apparently very 
 thrifty. 
 
 One of the most ■ interesting features of this plantation \vas the 
 rubber curing house, where the milk is coagulated and the rubber pre- 
 pared for market. This is a one-story, brick building, 30X80 feet, 
 smelling for all the world like a dairy, as one steps within its doors. At 
 one end of the room is a long table upon which are hundreds of enamelled 
 iron pans, capable of holding about a quart each. Into these pans the 
 milk is poured through a cheese cloth strainer, after having been previ- 
 ously strained in the field. To it is often added a very little acetic acid 
 — a fcii' drops only. This is allowed to stand over night, and in the 
 morning there is to be found in each j^an a pure white pancake of rubber, 
 soft, spongv. and full of water. Each cake is rolled on a zinc-covered 
 
54 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 table with a hand roHer and much of the water thus expressed. The 
 name of the estate is then stamped upon it with either a wooden or metal 
 die, when it is ready for the heater room. The heaters used are simply 
 charcoal ovens, the rubber being spread on wire screens above the fire, 
 and left for three or four hours. By this time the pancakes have lost 
 about 50 per cent, in weight and are beginning to assume a decidedly 
 darker hue. Cakes in the condition described, if in South America, would 
 be immediately marketed, but not in Ceylon. From the heaters thev go 
 to drying racks, where they are air dried for a month or six weeks, the 
 
 KlM'.r.EK CURING HDU.SE, CULLOUEN. 
 
 time depending somewhat upon the weather, and are shipped only after 
 careful examination as to quality and dryness. The care which the 
 planters are expending upon the preparation of the rubber is the best 
 sort of guarantee that the (|ualit)- will be sustained, and that the day 
 will come when the name of a plantation on a cake of rubber will tell 
 its value almost to a penny. To follow the rubber a little further, it is, 
 when perfectly satisfactory to the planter, packed in chests, the counter- 
 part of the regulation tea chest, made of "momi" wood that comes in 
 shooks from Japan, each ])ackage containing about two hundred pounds. 
 There is also a coarse rubber that is secured bv picking the scrap 
 from tapped trees. It is a very excellent rubber, and while I was there 
 it found a market at t^s. c^Ui., while the fine was bringing 4^*. 9^^/. Tliere 
 
'.\7^ 11 Hi M.iL.iY SI .rr/is 
 
 55 
 
 arc those who claim that it is unwise to pick the lihu n\ rul)her out of 
 the taijpin^ wounds in the tree, as there is danger tliat insects or disease 
 enter there. Such a theory is plausil)le, hut so far I have not lieard of 
 ill resulting- from such removal of the air dried scrap. 
 
 This coarse ruhher, l)y the way, was not ahsolutely clean; that is, 
 it contained hits of hark, and vei^etahle matter oftentimes. As labor 
 is so cheap, and there is |)lenty of water, it could he very easily washed. 
 For this pur])ose the ordinar\ corruL;ated roll washer that is used in the 
 ruhher factories has been suggested, hut it hardly fits the case, as the 
 scraps are so very small. A more practical plan would he to run them 
 through a winnowing machine such as is used to blow the dirt out of 
 
 COAGULATING AND PkESSlXG I'ARA KUDI!ER. 
 
 peas and beans and let the air blast take out as much bark as possible. 
 Then, if necessary, use a washer of the paper engine type to wash and 
 beat the rest out. Of course, for quick drying, the gum should then be 
 sheeted, and either plain or corrugated rolls would accomplish that, and 
 it cotild hang until drv. There is so little of the scrap, however, that 
 the simple winnowing machine is probably all that would be necessary 
 or profitable. 
 
 The time will come, however, when the coagulating and drying will 
 have to be done on a dififerent plan. The present method takes up too 
 much room and is too slow. It would be perfectly easy to have coag- 
 ulating pans that would deliver strips of rubber ten feet long, a foot 
 wide, and a quarter of an inch thick. These strips could then be run 
 
56 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 through rolls that would squeeze the excess water out, and at the same 
 time imprint the plantation name every few inches. Then the strips 
 could be hung up to dry and any degree of artificial heat applied that 
 was thought best. 
 
 There have been suggested, also, a variety of quick coagulating 
 devices, such as endless belts that take a film of milk into a dryine cham- 
 ber and deliver it to the other side coagulated and dried. Some such 
 plan may prevail, but as yet the planters are not ready for it. 
 
 After many experiments the manager at Culloden has satisfied him- 
 self that only the very early morning or the late afternoon are the proper 
 
 MR. HARRISON S BUNGALOW, CULLODEN. 
 
 times to tap, as in the middle of the day the flow of latex is almost 
 nothing. The trees are therefore tapped from 4 until 7 a. :m., and after 
 3.30 p. M. and as long as it is light. Indeed, the collection of the latex 
 is often done by torchlight. As an instance of Mr. Harrison's alertness 
 in getting all he can out of the trees with safety, he told me of a series 
 of experiments that he was about to institute for all night tapping. It 
 seems he learned that certain sugar estates did all their cutting of the cane 
 by electric light, and that the amount of saccharine matter secured was 
 much larger than in the daytime, and as the habit of the Hevea tree 
 
WA7) run M.iL.iY s'r.rr/is 
 
 57 
 
 pointed toward more laUw at ni^ht he fell tliat a similar exneriment 
 would 1)0 justified. 
 
 At the present time he keejis a careful record of the jiroductioii of 
 each tree and for this pur])ose the trees are numhered. When a tree 
 has a circumference of thirt\- inches it is fit to taj). whether it is five, 
 
 ACK FRUIT. 
 
 six. seven, or more years old. His first year's tapping in 1901 was 4.010 
 trees, from which he secured 4,600 pounds of first quality Para. In 
 1902 the production was about the same, the production for 190^ from 
 8,300 trees being 10.500 pounds. From 2,500 trees on Heatherlv. which 
 have just come in bearing, he gets 3,500 pounds. 
 
 To show how thoroughly Air. Harrison is seeking for knowledge of 
 the Hcz'ca, he has even had the 
 
 leaves analyzed to know just what 
 they get in the way of food from 
 the soil of Culloden. The analysis 
 is as follows : 
 
 Fresh. Air Dried. 
 
 Moisture 90.605^/^ 10.600% 
 
 Organic matter . 8.510''? 85.150% 
 Ash 849% 4-250% 
 
 The analysis of the organic matter showed that it contained 3.696 
 per cent, of nitrogen, while the ash showed as follows : 
 
58 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 .Potash 1.320% 
 
 Phosphoric acid 398%' 
 
 Lime 084% 
 
 M^agnesia 2.1 1*7% 
 
 Hence 1,000 pounds dried leaves would contain al)out four pounds 
 phosphoric acid; 13.2 pounds potash; .8 pounds lime; 21. i pounds 
 magnesia : and thirty-seven pounds nitrogen. From this it will be seen 
 that the leaf is curiously rich in magnesia, ])ut whether from selection 
 or force of circumstances it is difficult to say. 
 
 Most of the work is done by contract, each coolie being expected to 
 get later enough to produce one pound of dried rubber a da}'. It is 
 
 VIEW OK ' HEVEA SIX MONTHS AFTER PLANTING. 
 
 very interesting to watch them- as they troop up to the curing house 
 early in the forenoon, with huge tin cans of latex on their heads, and to 
 note how they watch the straining that none is slopped over, and even 
 rinse cu])s, cans, and every recei)tacle and add it to the rest that no 
 precious droj:) escape. 
 
 The rubber landed in Colombo costs sixteen cents a pound. United 
 States money. Just to let the skeptical do a little bit of thinking, and 
 by the skeptical T mean the majority of rubber manufacturers who 
 
AND 'run M.ILAY SlAlliS 59 
 
 ])clicvc that the Tara from tlic Amazon is a better business proposition — 
 just to start tlieni thinking, therefore, 1 want to ask them to read the 
 f olio win l; : 
 
 i"i.\i-: I'AKA Kri;i'.i:K from CEvr.ox. 
 
 Sells at Liver])ool, per pound $1.20 
 
 Costs f. o. 1). Liver])ool 17 
 
 ICxjJort (lut_\- //// .17 
 
 Planters" profit $1.03 
 
 WILD "FICL'S ELASTICA. 
 
 FINK I'ARA KlMiBFR FROM I'.RAZIL. 
 
 Sells at Liverpool, per pound $1.00 
 
 Costs f. o. h. Liverpool, minimum 21 
 
 Export duty 23 .44 
 
 Profit $0.56 
 
 The above figures both for Ceylon and South America are very 
 small — that is the cost figures. It is probable that twenty cents a pound 
 
6o 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 for cost in Ceylon would be nearer actual practise, while Para rubber 
 costs, landed in Para or Alanaos, often forty, fifty, and sixt\- cents a 
 pound, the figures being dependent upon the section that it comes from. 
 As a matter of fact, the Tamil coolie whom the planters employ is 
 not a high salaried individual. His pay averages about thirteen cents a 
 day. United States money. To this is added the coolie "lines'" or houses 
 which are free of rent to him. as is also medical attendance. The 
 planters keep no stores usually. Init they do Inn- rice and furnish it at 
 
 "HEVEa" ILANTElJ uSSy ; PHOTOGRAPHED I9O3. 
 
 cost to their laborers, the allowance being one Inislul a week for a man, 
 and three-quarters of a bushel for a woman. 
 
 It was while sitting on the cool flags under the Ijroad porch at 
 the Harrison bungalow that the subject of snakes came u]). Poth my 
 host and his friend acknowledged that cobras were very plentiful, and 
 that they had a great liking for cool bungalows, which thev sought to 
 enter whenever they thought they could safelv do so. Thev said it was 
 a very rare thing, however, for a white man to be bitten b\- one. But 
 the natives are (jften bitten, and sometimes fatallv. The Sin<>alese won't 
 
AND Tim M.iL.i)- sr.rr/is 61 
 
 kill tlicin. as thcN- think the cnhra (|uite' likcl\- to possess the soul of 
 some (lead relative of theirs. The Tamils, however, have no such 
 prejudice and are perfectly \villin<j to slau.^hter them whenever they can. 
 My informants acknowledi^ed that the hite of the cohra was very venom- 
 ous, hut not necessarily fatal. They said that some years hefore there 
 had lixed in that district a man who was known as the cohra kiny, wlio 
 not only cured snake hites in others, hut was proof against ])oisou Inm- 
 self. He tised to tease the snakes to make them l)ite him. and e\en rub 
 their venom into cuts on his arms, and a])parentl\- without the least 
 injur}-. Hut he was finally attacked by a sort of rheumatism, which 
 made him a helpless cripple, and he went hack to Enoland to ,s^et cured. 
 
 Close to Culloden is Arapolakanda. where I next visited, heiuij^ 
 entertained by the resident mana,qer, Mr. H. W T.a.^ot. He has but 
 fifteen acres of Hcvca in bearing-, and i^ets twenty pounds a da\-. In 
 coagulatino-, :Mr. Bagot did not follow exactly the process used bv his 
 neighbor, Mr. Harrison, the diiTerence l)eing- this: he added no acid to 
 hasten coagulation, and also smoked the rubljer over a fire of sawdust 
 and bark. The tinal drying- was accomplished by spreading on wire 
 screens, and not a pound was shipped until it was perfecth- drv and 
 transparent. By the wa}-. he reported that he had one "dumb"' tree 
 that was big-, thrifty, and apparently exactly like the others, but that 
 it gave no milk. At the lower end of Arapolakanda are some acres of 
 marsh land that have been drained and reclaimed and on which is 
 standing some fine rubber. As this land is near the river, it is some- 
 times inundated, the water standing four feet up on the trunks, but for 
 a short time only. Mr. Bagot acknowledged that the trees were set 
 back somewhat, but not very much. The general opinion in Ceylon, 
 however, is that inundations are very apt to kill out the Hcvca. 
 
 The oldest rubber on this plantation is some fifteen to eighteen 
 years old, planted quite closely together in a sheltered nook. In this 
 lot the outside trees which get the sun are by far the largest, one that 
 I measured roughly being two feet in diameter and sixtv feet high. 
 After having- seen all of the rubber. I examined the tea, saw what sights 
 there were, and spent a very pleasant evening with Mr. Bagot, at whose 
 bungalow I slept. 
 
 Very early the next morning, with a coolie carrying m\- luggage, I 
 made my way to the river and climbing down its steep, clavey bank, 
 found myself aboard the steamer Kaluganga. This craft was some 
 sixty feet long and twelve feet wide, with a small wood-burning boiler 
 and engine amidships. The forward deck was reserved for the whites. 
 
62 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 while the blacks huddled together at the stern. I had l)arel\- emljarked, 
 when down came one of Mr. Wither's coolies with two steamer chairs, 
 one of which he had thoughtfully l^rought for me. After a most ear- 
 splitting whistle, the little steamer cas^t off and started down the deep, 
 muddv stream. Shortly after leaving the pier, we passed the Clyde 
 estate, which shows a large planting of tea and Para ruhlier. the trees 
 voung, straight, and tall. The run down the river was a pleasant one. 
 
 HF.VEA TREES AT SUNNYCROFT. 
 
 but in no wav exciting, and earh- in the forenoon I took a train from 
 Kalutara and was again back in Colombo. As I planned to leave for 
 the Kelani Valley that afternoon, I went to the Grand Oriental Hotel 
 for breakfast and a siesta, from which I was awakened by a pleasant 
 voung reporter, who interviewed me most thoroughly. I want to say 
 in passing that all through the East the newspaper men seemed alive 
 to the importance of the rubber question, and ]jrinted many columns of 
 
AND run M.iL.w si'.iriis 63 
 
 tilings that I did and didn't say. Wlirn he had fmislied with me I sum- 
 moned Alis^uel and we tuok rieksliaws for Maradana junction station 
 and there l)ou_nht ticl<ets for Karawanella. After a Mmiewliat tiresome 
 ride in the train we reached our destination and I found Mr. W. For- 
 sythe, (3f the Sunnycroft estate, awaiting- me with a verv swell ris^- 
 consisting of a line horse and hioh cart. Into the tra]) i got, and Miguel 
 hiring a huUock hackery, we clrove merrih off. The I'OrsNthe con- 
 veyance soon left the other far behind, and as evening fell and it began 
 to grow chilly, 1 was mo\ed to ask how much further Sunnycroft might 
 be. 1 then learned that it was eight miles from the station, whereas 
 1 had been told that it was two. As the road was constantK' ascending, 
 it grew colder and colder, and as Miguel had mv coat, I suggested to 
 Mr. Forsythe that I was in for a chill. He therefore stopped at the 
 bungalow of a planter friend and secured a coat for me and our journev 
 was then continued. Had it not been for the chill in the air. 1 should 
 have enjoyed the ride mightily, as the road was most picturesque, wind- 
 ing through native villages, crossing rivers and often crowded with 
 strange conveyances. Mr. Forsythe entertained me verv pleasantly that 
 night, and the next morning we walked some eight miles over his planta- 
 tion. His land was exceedingly hilly, but under a high state of cultiva- 
 tion, showing man}- hundreds of acres of line tea. He also had about 
 three hundred Hcvea trees planted in 1897, which would average forty 
 inches in circumference. In addition to this he had planted rubber 
 everywhere through his tea, but very little of it was over two vears old. 
 In his section he found that when the Hcvca trees were voung it was 
 a constant fight to keep the porcupines and wild pigs from eating them. 
 He was, therefore, protecting the young trees in certain sections with 
 wire fences, the lower sides of which were buried in the ground. 
 
 It was during this walk that I discovered what it meant to get 
 chilled in a tropical climate, and to have the chill develop into an incipi- 
 ent fever. Although the sun was scorching hot and I was exercising. 
 I wasn't perspiring a particle. When we got back to the bungalow in 
 the early afternoon, therefore, after due apology for being ill, I took 
 twenty grains of quinine, and wrapping myself in blankets, went to 
 sleep. The quinine or the blankets did the business, and the next morn- 
 ing I was able to take a bullock hackery at five o'clock and rattle and 
 bump down the mountain road to the railroad station, whence I took 
 train for Colombo. 
 
 The next day I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. F. Lewns, the 
 assistant conservator of forests, who has done a srreat deal to further 
 
64 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 the planting interests in Ceylon, and whose opinions on ruljher are 
 most sound. In the course of conversation, he acknowledged that 
 he and his coworkers were continually on the outlook for the 
 appearance of disease in the rubher. He said that wher- 
 ever large areas of anything were cultivated, nature came forward 
 with some disease or pest. He believed, however, that intelligence and 
 vigilance would keep such visitations at least under control. I asked 
 him specifically about his idea of distances in planting rubljer, and his 
 conclusions were almost identical with my own, that it was well to 
 plant closely at first, that weeds and grass might be kept down, and 
 perhaps cut out the weaklings later. Of course, in planting through 
 tea no such close setting can be indulged in. 
 
 My visit to Ceylon was drawing rapidly to a close, as I was booked 
 to sail on the Bengal on the 20th. Any further excursions that I took 
 into the countrv were, therefore, of minor importance, and of adven- 
 tures I had none except that little afifair wath the water bulTalo. It 
 came about through my desire to see a paddy field at close range. I 
 was some little wa}- out of town, and stepping down oft' the roadway 
 walked out on the narrow bank of clayey mud that separated one rice 
 plot from another. There were hundreds of these plots and miles of 
 narrow earthworks, and I had gotten some distance out, when a huge 
 water buft'alo, wallowing in the mud, made up his mind that I was an 
 intruder, and started for me. As he weighed about a ton, and knew 
 the country anvhow, I didn't stop to argue, but raced back for the road. 
 I am considered a prettv fair runner, but I verily believe that the beast 
 Avould have caught me if it hadn't been for a native who ran out with a 
 switch and headed him off. The absurd part of it was that my rescuer 
 was a mite of a boy, his only clothing being a red string round his waist, 
 but he certainly knew the proper profanity to apply to water buffaloes. 
 
 By the way, speaking of paddy fields, it seems a shame that the 
 very best land of Ceylon should be given up to the culture of rice. If 
 those same fields were drained and planted to Para rubber, there is no 
 doubt but that thev would show an infinitely bigger profit, even if those 
 who turned them into rul)l)er orchards paid, as an annual rental, the 
 amount of rice that they are supposed to produce. 
 
.IXI) rilli M.IL.IY Sl.niiS Cr-, 
 
 KII'TH LETTER. 
 
 Dki'AUI I'KK IKOM t^OI.OM ISO FOR THE FEDERATED M.ALAY StATES — CHRISTMAS EN 
 
 Route — Akkivai. at Singapore — The Botanic Gardens and Director Ridley — 
 Successful Growth ok Hevea — Gathering Gutta-jelutong in the Jungle — 
 Reboiling Gu tta-i'erch a 1!v the Chinese — A Visit to Johore — Starting for 
 Salangor. 
 
 MY second experience on a P. and ( ). l)oat was when 1 l)oarded the 
 Bciti^al in Colomljo liarbor, beins;- taken off in a catamaran, 
 whose crew seemed to enjov narrow escapes so much that they 
 invited colHsion with every movini^ craft that came their way. Reference 
 to my notes develops one fact that seemed of prime importance then, 
 and that was that I sailed from Colombo on the 20th of December, and 
 had received no mail at all while in Ceylon. In other words, I had got 
 ahead of schedule time, and as a result was facing Christmas on a trop- 
 ical sea with no holiday greetings. However, the Bengal sailed just 
 the same. We got away soon after dark during an exceedinglv heavv 
 rainfall. As there were only twelve passengers all told, I had a ver\- 
 roomy, four-berth caliin to myself — a great comfort in tropical waters. 
 
 The next morning I was up very early, took mv last look at the 
 fading shores of Ceylon, and got well acquainted with a young planter 
 from Penang who was so much interested in India-rubber that he 
 described to me in detail the way the American importers bought it. 
 "melted it up with sulphur and lampblack and sold it to the manufac- 
 turers to be cast into goods." As we were still working south, the heat 
 became even more tropical, yet we were forced to take much exercise 
 to enjoy our meals. We therefore played ping pong, deck quoits, and 
 cricket, being every now and then driven to the smoking room bv the 
 floods of water that poured along the decks, in spite of top and side 
 awnings. The air was exceedingly damp; one perspired constantlv, and, 
 as one Briton expressed it, he felt like a chewed string. On December 
 24, we sighted the island of Puloh Wea, which, having no awnings over 
 it, was getting mighty wet, and on the following morning, which was 
 Christmas, we entered the harbor at Penang at 6.30 o'clock. 
 
 The rain had left us for a little, the sea was smooth, and all about 
 us were l^rown-sailed Chinese junks and sampans with double pointed 
 sterns, on which stood half naked dyaks with queer conical hats, sculling 
 with exceeding skill. The harbor was crowded with foreign shippino-. 
 
66 
 
 Ri'BBER PLAXTIXG IX CEYLOX 
 
 all gaily decorated ivith flags, and as we cast anchor we had a good 
 view of the town nestling at the foot of lofty mountains covered with 
 verdure to their very summits. We all got read}- to go ashore and 
 stood watching the swarming native boats containing money changers, 
 curio sellers and jugglers. These gentry were not supposed to come 
 aboard, but whenever they got a chance they ran their boats close to 
 the ship's side, climbed the slender masts, and, swinging toward the 
 vessel, caught hold of the edge of a port, and clinging tooth and nail, 
 came aboard like so many monkeys. While we waited for permission 
 to go shore we learned that the huge, two-story building fronting us, 
 but, alas, an eighth of a mile away, was the custom house, and the factory 
 plant a long distance away with four brick chimnevs was a tin smelter. 
 
 JOHNSTON S PIER^ SINGAPORE. 
 
 We were also informed that the town was not I'cnang, ])ut was George- 
 town, Penang Ix-ing the name of the island on which the town was 
 situated, an<l then all at once, when we were full of information, the 
 anchor came uj) and we sailed away. At first we were verv much 
 disgusted, but as we circled the island and struck into the Straits of 
 Malacca in plain sight of the low lying shores covered 'with graceful 
 cocoa-nut palms, with ranges (jf mountains in the distance, and as island 
 after island a])peared in sight, each wilder and more jjeautiful than the 
 last, we forgot our disappointment and became engrossed in the scenerv. 
 Possibly to make us more good natured. we had a magnificent Christmas 
 pudding that niglit and then a musicale on deck, at which the first 
 officer sang and the f<iurtli officer ])ki}-ed. and all joined in games until 
 it was time to retire. 
 
.-/A7^ I III-. MALAY SI A'lliS 
 
 67 
 
 It i^reu roui^ii in the nij^lil and tlu- ])a,!4an who pretended U) l(Jok 
 after my comfort sli|)])ed in and closed the ])ort. which drove me on 
 deck ver\ early in the morning", to find the day lovvery and dark, with a 
 hi^h wind hlowing". 'I'oward night, however, the clouds had scattered, 
 all except a great black mass that lay over Sumatra way. As the sun 
 ■dropped l)ehin(l this mountain (jf cloud, and sent its rays through it, 
 lighting the interior, we looked into huge golden caverns, their crimson 
 ceilings upheld by twisted columns and arches of fantastic design, while 
 the light shining above the cloud mass flecked the sky to its furthest 
 horizon with wonderful combinations of gold and pur[)le that held one 
 breathless with awe and delight. 
 
 After passing Malacca, which showed sim])l\- a white line close 
 to the water's edge, so far awav was it. and man\- islets covered with 
 
 MALAY VILLAGE "PULO BRAM SINGAPORE. 
 
 [1 he huts all on supports, over water.] 
 
 palms, we sighted Singapore about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. As the 
 tide was not right, we couldn't take the nearest channel, but were 
 obliged to go outside of the strongly fortified islands that form natural 
 breastworks for the tine harbor, and by putting on all steam, we were 
 able to get up to the P. and O. docks just as night fell. Those of us 
 who were going to stop in Singapore went ashore at once, leaving 
 our baggage to follow, and. in a square, box-like gharri drawn bv a 
 little Burmese stallion, we drove by the Malay fishing village, around 
 through the Kampong (dam to Ratfles Hotel, said to be the Jiofel de 
 luxe of the East. There we had dinner and later took rickshaws and 
 rode through the Chinese, ]\Ialay, and Japanese quarters, watching with 
 ■eager eyes the strange street scenes, listening to and trving to remember 
 
68 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 tlie grotesque calls of the street vendors, and iinally seeing and hearing 
 so much that was new and strange that it was a relief to get back to 
 the quiet hotel and turn in on a bed that had neither top sheet nor 
 coverlet, because in that climate, even though the whole side of the rooiw 
 was open to the night air, no such covering is necessary. In the morn- 
 ing I had a new experience — a bath in Eastern fashion, for the bath room 
 is a bit different from what the ordinary dweller in the temperate zone 
 expects. It is cement tloored and gullied, with a huge urn in it from 
 which one dips buckets full of water to pour over the body. In other 
 words, one stands outside of the tub to bathe. To get info it is out of 
 the question. 
 
 (IRIHAKD ROAD, SINGAPORE. 
 
 And now a word about Singapore. It was founded, so the English 
 say, in 1819, by Sir Stamford RafHes. The real date was, however, 1283 
 when it was founded by the Malays and became at once a general rendez- 
 vous for their pirate craft. It is 8.000 miles from England, is the seat 
 of government for the h>derated Malay States, and is a great and 
 growing business center. In the census of igoi the population of the 
 island was 184.554. ( )f this, 101.908 were Chinese, 35,000 Malays. 
 7 6,000 natives of India, and 2,769 whites. The island contains two 
 hundred and seven S(|uare miles and lies rather Iciw, the land being on an 
 average from twenty to thirty feet al)ove sea level. The average mean 
 
,1X1) 'run M.ILAY S'r.lTliS 
 
 69 
 
 temperature in the shade is fri)m .So to (S5 " 1-'. '\'\k- rainfall in Sinj^apore 
 and the ^hlla\• States is t'r( m ninety to two hundred inches. The city 
 is under excellent control, the huildiui^^s in the husiness portion l^einj^j 
 quite imposing, and the harhor, with its magnificent fortifications, most 
 excellent. The visitor at once notes the strange mixture of races that 
 place their impress on architecture, husiness, and modes of life. The 
 naming of the streets is an example of this. hOr instance, there is 
 Victoria Street and liukit Timah Road, together with Orchard Road 
 and Teluk lUangah Road, and so on. 
 
 After morning coffee, 1 took another ride through the crowded, 
 Ijarharic, festering, native quarters, and had mv eyes opened to many 
 
 FIELD OF PARA RUBKER ("HEVEA"). 
 
 [In Singapore Botanic Gardens.] 
 
 things. The European and business parts of the city are really very 
 fine, and, except in the heat of the day, quite comfortable. It was not 
 the rainy season, yet heavy showers came up almost every afternoon, 
 and although it was cooler in the evening it was still hot and damp, 
 and few of the hotel people showed much energy. Xor did they take 
 anv especial interest in the wants of their guests. Xo time tables were 
 obtainable, nor was it possible to discover from the clerks anything 
 about the departure of trains, the sailing of steamers, or the time when 
 the postoffice would be open. They were not in the least discourteous, 
 but simply weary and vacuous. 
 
70 
 
 RUBBER PLAXTIXG IX CEYLOX 
 
 In spite of the midday scorching sun, in which all of ni}- spare 
 clothing was spread to kill the mildew, I took a rickshaw and rode 
 out over Orchard Road to the botanic gardens. I was most hospitably 
 received by Director Henry N. Ridley, f. l. s., and shown all of the 
 various rubber and gutta trees and vines that he has so industriously 
 collected. The Hevca was naturally my first concern, and I found Mr. 
 Ridley most willing to talk about it, as he has long advocated its very 
 general planting, and certainlv the soil is excellent and the trees respond 
 to cultivation wonderfully. From one hundred cultivated trees on an 
 estate in Perak, Mr. Ridley has taken nine hundred pounds of Para 
 rubber in one season's tapping, and from nine to twelve pounds have been 
 taken from a number of trees in the peninsula, but planters do not always 
 
 SHOOTS FROM A FALLEN HEVEA TRUNK. 
 
 [With view of Director H. N. Ridley.] 
 
 get such returns. He has also taken three pounds from a single isolated 
 three-year old tree. The growth here is phenomenal, a tree eighteen 
 months old sometimes standing thirty feel high, while three-year-olds 
 often attain a height of sixty feet. I found in these gardens the Hcvca 
 growing in a variety of soils, and all apparently thrifty. For example, 
 high up on a gravelly hillside, were a half hundred trees that were eight or 
 ten years old, and sixteen to eighteen inches in diameter. These were 
 planted in partial shade, but had outdistanced all surrounding growths. 
 The other extreme from this was a large planting where there were 
 but six inches of soil aliove water, the soil being often submerged but 
 draining off verv quickly, llere the trees grew well, but were apt to 
 
AND 'nil-: M.IL.W ST. IT lis 
 
 71 
 
 1)0 blown over because of tluir shallow rootiiiL;'. 'l"o show how icnacious 
 (jf life the tree is, it is oiiK necessary to examine the photograi^hs of 
 many such trees that, blown over, took fresh root from the to])s and 
 sent up shoots that soon (levelo])C(l into sturdy tree trunks. I counted 
 seven such trunks sprinmin^' from one prostrate stem, each trunk biiL^ 
 enous;h to tap, and full of latex. 
 
 Another ex])eriment in distance ])lantinj4- was a row of seventeen 
 trees that were set six feet aijart, that although tliev were onI\- ei^ht 
 
 CLTTA-JELCTOXG TREE. 
 
 [Botanic Gardens, Singapore.] 
 
 years old, were two feet in diameter and showed a magnificent leaf area. 
 These, of course, had the sun on both sides, and thus came along- faster 
 than if in partial shade. The number of Hciwi trees in the gardens 
 now readv for tapping is 1.300. A still further experiment with the 
 Hevca was the planting of the seed in specially- prepared beds, in which 
 a varietv of different manures was jilaced. The photograph tells the 
 whole storv and would seem to point to cow dung as the best food for 
 young Hevca. The soil in the gardens is not particularly rich, being 
 
y2 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 of a red, gravell}- character, showing traces of iron, but the moisture 
 and the sunHght make up for what it may lack. 
 
 Next after the Hcvca I wanted most to examine the tree that 
 produces the Gutta-jelutong, or Pontianak gum. I found that it was 
 very common all through the Federated Malay States, and that the 
 gum was rarely taken from it, the tree being regarded as useful only 
 for the cheap clogs that the natives wear. The tree is botanically the 
 Dycra costiilata and when mature is a splendid forest creation. One in 
 the gardens, of which I haye a photograph, was certainly one hundred 
 and fifty feet high, with a huge three part trunk, and a magnificent crown 
 of leaves. We did not tap this one, but went into the jungle, found a 
 wild one, and tapped it after the most approved method. The kitcx 
 oozed out like clotted cream and seemed most abundant, but began to 
 coagulate almost at once. It is said that a mature tree produces as 
 much as one hundred pounds, by scraping the bark rather than tapping, 
 and mixing at once with kerosene. 
 
 In the bit of jungle where we found the Pontianak tree, there was 
 killed only a few days before a thirty-foot python, that had not been 
 thought a particularly undesirable neighbor until he swallowed a couple 
 of Mr. Ridley's swans, which ended his career. 
 
 The Casfilloa in the gardens did not seem to be in a very flourish- 
 ing condition, nor did the Ceara rubber trees, although both have been 
 carefully experimented with. The former seemed to be stunted, while 
 the latter was apt to develop hollow stems. A further trouble with 
 the Casfilloa came about through its habit of shedding its temporary 
 Ijranches, which gives a nice, sheltered, tender spot for the beetles, of 
 which they often avail themselves. There was also a most luxuriant 
 growth of the IJllliighbcia iiniia, but it was such a tangle that it would 
 be almost impossible to get any rubber out of it economically. Indeed, 
 I have yet to find anyone that has experimented with the culture of 
 a vine that is a rubber producer who has any faith at all in it. The 
 WiUngJibcia, however, when wild, produces a good grade of rubber 
 that is known as "Borneo,"" and is very easily coagulated after tapping. 
 There were also a great variety of Gutta-percha trees, together with 
 the Picns and the Kick.via, to which we devoted considerable attention. 
 
 Director Ridley is a most charming companion, and as he often 
 takes long journeys into the forests accompanied only by the wild men, 
 his stories of adventure are very interesting. His guides, b}- the way, 
 never can understand his interest in insects or plants, except upon the 
 hypothesis that he is after ingredients to make "gold water," a magic 
 
AND THE MALAY STATUS 73 
 
 li(Hii(l that the white man is ahvavs Noarniiii;' to make and which will 
 ttirn an\thing into i^old. The type of coolie in Malaysia is, however, 
 far superior to that in Ceylon. They are hetter formed, stronger, and 
 far more self respecting. Xor do the\- call the white man "master"; 
 to them he is "'tuan"" (sir). 
 
 There are man\- tigers in the Malav peninsula and some in the 
 island of Singapore. In the hit of jungle where we secured the latex 
 of the Gutta-jelutong there often lurked a tigress who swam over 
 from the main land and had her nest there. As a rule they are trouble- 
 some onlv as they steal the Chinamen's pigs, and while there is now 
 and then one who gets to be a man eater, it is not European meat that 
 thev seek, l>ut the flesh of the coolies. Thev are ver\- clever and hide 
 themselves so well that one may almost step on them in going through 
 the jungle. Once they are discovered, however, they charge for the 
 intruder, uttering a tremendous roar. If they are not wounded and 
 the charge is avoided, thev slip off into the jungle and are almost instantly 
 lost to sight. There is a record of a large tigress with two cubs that 
 terrorized twenty miles of w^ell traveled road, killing on an average a 
 coolie a day for months. She was finallv killed by a spring gun, but 
 the cubs escaped. They did not turn out to be man eaters. The tigers 
 are fond also of killing the water buffalo. To do this they hunt in 
 pairs, one cutting the creature out of the herd, while the other lies in 
 wait, and at the right moment springs on his victim, seizes it by the 
 neck. and. leaping high in the air. throws the wdiole weight of his body 
 in such a way that the neck is instantly broken. Referring again to the 
 man eaters, they kill their prey by a stroke on the neck, and in feeding 
 eat only the coolie's legs. 
 
 The most vicious beast in Malaysia, and one that both Europeans 
 and natives dread, is a bison, something like that of India, only larger. 
 It is a huge animal, six feet high at the wdthers, short legged, and heavy 
 bodied. It lives in the forests, feeds on fruits, and usually attacks man 
 on sight. They are very hard to kill and are the dread of the foresters. 
 It is easily the largest ox in the world, and by far the most dangerous. 
 
 There are, of course, many snakes, and of them the cobra seems 
 to be the best known. The Singapore cobra is a much more vicious 
 appearing reptile than is its cousin of Ceylon, and with different habits. 
 It is known as the black cobra and rarely bites, choosing rather to 
 eject the poison at the eyes of its enemy, and at eight or ten feet distance 
 it is a pretty fair shot. If the eye is not at once treated by some sort 
 of alkali, or if the venom gets in an open wound, the results are quite 
 
"4 
 
 RUBBER PLAXTIXG IX CEYLOX 
 
 serious. While I was at the hotanic gardens. Air. Ridlev was treating" 
 the eyes of his fox terrier, who had just killed a cobra, and in the fight 
 got his eves full of poison. 
 
 Returning from the botanic gardens, 1 called uj^on Messrs. Hutt- 
 nach Brothers, to whom I had letters of introduction. They are large 
 traders, sending shiploads of rattan from Singapore, and liringing great 
 cargoes of coal from Japan. They are also agents for tin mines in 
 Johore, and incidentally handle much ( iutta-percha. ' They were of the 
 
 
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 /^ife'fe?^; 
 
 
 MAL.VY HOUSE IN JOHORE. 
 
 opinion that the .Marconi svstem was already affecting the gutta market, 
 as there was much stock in Singapore, and according to their advices, 
 a great deal unsold in England. Through their courtesy I w'as taken 
 to the Chinese merchant (|uarters and shown the reboiling process that 
 prepares the gutta for the markets of Europe and .America. AVe first 
 visited the offices and storehouses of the Teck Wah Liong Co., where 
 we met the senior member of the firm, a very polite, intelligent Celestial 
 who s])oke good English. ( )ur interview took ])lace in a fine anteroom 
 furnished in Chinesf fashion, with man\- sturd\- ebonv chairs set close 
 
./.\7) 77//: M.iL.n' sr.rriis 
 
 7S 
 
 to the walls, \\liik' lnii;c laiilenis hunj^- from tlic ceiling-. In the rear 
 rooms were many brick tanks about 20X20 feet and rtve feet liij.,''h. covered 
 with cement, in which the .s^utla was stored under water. The floor was 
 tiled and piled high with blocks and rolls of i^utta. which, to keep 
 off oxidization, was fre(|uently wet down liy turninj^ a stream of water 
 on it by means of a hose. Although the\- were e(|ui])])e(l with relxiiling 
 tanks, none were then in use, so we were taken to a nearbv warehouse 
 where the work was in ])rogTess. 
 
 The ( lUtta-percha as the reljoilers receive it comes in large crumbly 
 cakes. These cakes are ])ut in a tank and boiled in hot water, after 
 
 NEW .MOHAMMEDAN .MOSUUE, JOHOKE VIEW FRO.M SEASIDE. 
 
 which tile mass is run through a large mangle turned bv two coolies 
 and fed by a third. It is next dumped into a tank of cold water, allowed 
 to cool, and then stacked up to dry out. After drying it is cut into 
 shreds by coolies who use great cleavers for the purpose, and it is 
 again boiled, and sheeted, and cooled as before. The same process is 
 gone through with a third time, but when the sheets come from the 
 mangle this time the gutta is folded int(T neat rectangular blocks and is 
 readv for market. The boiling, sheeting, and cooling, tcnighens the 
 
76 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 gutta appreciably and also allows of certain admixtures that are sup- 
 posed to be suited to some grades. For example, in some of the lower 
 grades a modicum of Pontianak is often introduced. All the gutta that 
 I saw was said to have come from Borneo in small lots, though my 
 informants told me that they received shipments occasionally from the 
 Philippines. 
 
 I had heard so much of Johore and its young and athletic sultan 
 that I had a desire to see it at close range. I was, therefore, much grati- 
 fied by an invitation from the chief of the agricultural bureau there. 
 Mr. F. H. M. Staples, to pay him a visit. I knew that I should miss 
 the sultan, as rumor had it that he had taken $200,000 in gold and 
 started for Europe for a vacation from the cares of state. A brief 
 rickshaw ride from the hotel took me to the Johore and Kranji railroad, 
 where in the "first class waiting shed," as the sign on the wall had it, 
 I waited for my train. When it appeared I got aboard and again waited. 
 After a time the dusky hued master came out and rang a big dinner 
 bell most energetically, which was the signal to start. Still we waited 
 and waited, but finall}- reluctantly pulled out. The ride across the 
 island is short and pleasant, and is through many plantations and some 
 jungle, and terminates at a ferry where a steamer transfers the passengers 
 to the domain of the sultan. Mr. Staples was awaiting me and was 
 good enough to put me up at the Johore Club, and I had tifiin with 
 him at the sultan's hotel. In the afternoon we drove out to the rubber 
 plantation, which is about three miles from the town, and which now 
 consists of some fifty acres of Ficiis clastica cjuincunxed with Para. 
 As all the manure from the dairy farm is to be used on this plantation, 
 the rubber should come on very rapidly. In addition to what is already 
 planted, large clearings are being made, corn being first planted with 
 the rubber for shade. On my return I had a look at the native village, 
 went again over to the hotel and club, where I met the postmaster gen- 
 eral, the chief electrician, and the Datto Abul Rahmin. admired some 
 fine pictures of the sultan, and returned to Singapore. 
 
 1 before I knew it I was facing the new year, and as New Year's 
 day came on Friday, the rest of the week was taken by all as a period 
 of rest. This suited me physically, for I was exceedingly languorous, 
 but not mentally, as I longed to be up and doing. 1 gave up to the 
 climate, however, and idled. Indeed, the wish to remain quiet grew on 
 me to such an extent that had there been then more days of it I think 
 I should have stayed in Singapore. My bedroom boy. Poo Kee, a short, 
 chunky, good humored Chinaman, made ever\thing as easy as possible 
 
.IXn 11 Hi M.ILAY ST. IT IIS 
 
 77 
 
 for nic. When I ordered a liottle of .\])olliiiaris lie l)rou,i;lit ink. and 
 I never eonld o-^t hini out of llu- habit of starting- tlie water runninit^ 
 in tlie Ixitliroom and leaving- me to turn it otT. 
 
 Durini;- my enforeed idleness I did ^o down to the Itilliard room 
 and play a few shames, hut more to hear the markers chant the score 
 in Malay than for the fun of the ^;niie. To he sure 1 roused u]) one 
 evening and went out to see some tiftx rickshaw men trv to thrash tw<j 
 Russian sailors who would not ])a\- for their rides, hut it was more like 
 a game of tag than a fight. 
 
 On New Year's morning there were sampan races in the harbor, 
 where the native boatmen displayed surprising skill, and the spectators 
 
 
 
 h^ J^ 1 
 
 
 
 —tuf^ji^-JiS^^ISL 
 
 1 STAN A OF THE SULTAN OF SELANGUK. 
 
 grew wildly enthusiastic in spite of the fact that it was exceedingh- hot 
 and the glare of the sun on the water was almost unbearable. The 
 heavy rain that came up early in the afternoon, but lasted onlv an hour, 
 did not discourage the merrymakers, and as great crowds were going out 
 to the racetrack to see the natives compete with one another in a varietv 
 of sports, I went too. The turf around the track was sodden with water 
 and the track heavy, but in spite of it all there were obstacles races, treacle 
 dipping for silver coins, rickshaw, jMiny, and hurdle races that were 
 both ludicrous and interesting. As on the evening before there had 
 been a great dinner followed by a dance at the Raffles Hotel, and at 
 midnight "Auld Lang Syne" and "God Save the King"" had ushered 
 in the New Year, I could but feel that it had been hcartih- weTcomed. 
 
78 
 
 RUBBER FLAXTIXG IX CEVLOX 
 
 In the meantime several warm invitations had come to me from 
 planters up in the "States"" to visit them and have a look at their rubher. 
 I therefore decided to go up to Selangor, where as far as I could judge, 
 I was likely to see rubber that would typify what that part of the world 
 could produce. Not that the oldest Hevea was there, indeed some one 
 told me, I do not remember whom, that the largest and oldest Hevea 
 trees in the Federated Malay States were destroyed by mistake some 
 years before. It seems that a former official ordered some Dyak ser- 
 
 VIEW ON THE PLANTATION OF THE SELANGOR RUBBER CO., FEDERATED MALAY STATES 
 
 ["Hevea and "Ficus" interplanted.] 
 
 vants to tap the trees and they, supposing that the flow of latex would 
 be immediate and aliundant, as it is with the Ficus, and finding the case 
 the reverse, reported that the trees were barren. They were, therefore, 
 cut <l(>\vn. much to the sul)se(iuent regret of all. 
 
 The l)oat that was to take me to Selangor is known as the Sappho, 
 and in order to get aboard of her you ortler a gharri to lie at the hotel 
 at three o'clock in the afternonn and the man will come at one and try 
 to charge nou for the two hours' wait. 1 le doesn't really exjiect to get 
 the extra i)fi\'. however, and will respect you more if }ou don't give 
 
AND 'I'HIi M.IL.D' SLITliS 79 
 
 it to him. Tic leaves you at Johnson's ])ier at ahmil 3.15. where the 
 coohe who takes \()ur lu.^'gat^e in charg-e informs you that the launch 
 to the Sa/^l^lio, advertised to leave at .^30, has i;one. It is. therefore, 
 your dul\- to engage a sampan, and get its owner to put you ahoard. 
 This is rcalh- more fun than it is to go in the launch, ])rovided it is not 
 raining. All this 1 did. ( )nce ahoard, I found that the Saf^f^lio was a 
 steamer of three hundred and twenty-nine net tons, and, according to 
 the written statement of some dock official, had sufficient rice, fuel, and 
 water for the voyage. I was, therefore, content. 1 had a very comfort- 
 able stateroom and soon made the acquaintance of two young English 
 mining- engineers who had come down to Singapore for the holidays, 
 were going to get ofif at Malacca and then ride fifty miles on bicycles, 
 mostlv u]>hill, to their station. 
 
8o 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING JN CEYLON 
 
 SIXTH LETTER— CONCLUSION. 
 
 Rubber Plantations at Klang, in Selangor — Mr. Bailey and His Work — 
 Distance of Planting — Age at Which Hevea Trees- Yield — The Labor Ques- 
 tion — Mr. Carey's Planting — The Chinese as Rubber Planters — The Selan- 
 gor Rubber Co. — Return to Singapore and Departure for Hong Kong. 
 
 DURING the nig-ht spent on the Sa/^pho, on the trip from Singapore 
 to Selangor, we passed through a succession of heavy showers, 
 but the sea was smooth and it was cool enough to be fairly 
 comfortable. The meals aboard the boat were also good, and the native 
 servants as intelligent as it paid them to be. At eight the next morning 
 
 FOUR YEAR OLD "HEVEA, KLANANG ESTATE. 
 
 we stopped at Port Dickson, where there is a good harbor, with an iron 
 pier and a few bungalows and native houses set down in the jungle. 
 After discharging freight we left, following the coast about three miles 
 out. The land was low, wooded down to the w^ater's t^(\g;t with an occa- 
 sional break where a river discharged its muddy flood into the clear 
 water of the Straits. 
 
 In due time 1 reached Port Swettenhani, where a short railroad 
 journev took me to Klang. The station master then told me that 1 could 
 
AND Tim MALAY STATES 
 
 8i 
 
 safely trust the ricksliaw man to take nic to Mr. W. W. I'.ailcv's l)un- 
 galow, where 1 had been invited to make m\- liead(|uartcrs. He evidenth 
 knew the name, for he g-rinned. said '*l>ailee,"" and started olY. l-'ar out 
 into the country he took me. perspiring profusely, but keeping- steadilv 
 at it. ( )n the way we ])assed considerable plantations of Hcvca, which 
 I examined with interest. Finally he stopped at a gateway and pointed 
 out a hillside bungalow and again said 'i)ailee" and intimated that 
 he was ready to be paid. I did not ([uite share his contidence. however, 
 and insisted that he accompany me up to the house, which with some 
 reluctance he did. And it was lucky that 1 did so, for it soon developed 
 that this was the bungalow of the ])lantation superintendent, who was 
 absent, the hcmse being in charge oi the native servants. Xot sj^eaking- 
 
 A RIVER VIEW FROM KLAXG. 
 
 much Malay and they knowing no English, it was a bit difficult for 
 me to make them understand what I wanted, but iinalh- one of them 
 mounted a bicycle and. inviting us to follow, led us back to Klang. and 
 up to the real I'ailey lumgalow. The house was most beautifully situ- 
 ated on a slight eminence with beautiful palms, foliage plants, and flowers 
 in its gardens, and a view in the distance of the lofty istana of Selangor's 
 sultan. 
 
 1 was at once cordially welcomed by Mr. Bailey and his beautiful 
 wife, and entertained most delightfully. The next morning we drove 
 over the road that I had traveled twice the dav before, and went thor- 
 oughly over both Lowlands and Highlands estates. After stopping at 
 the bungalow of the superintendent, from which we had a fine view of 
 
82 
 
 RUBBER PLAXTJXG IN CEYLON 
 
 acres of Hczca. we drove by the coffee mill, and the coolie lines to the 
 extreme end of Lowlands, where the very last planting had been done. 
 This was in alluvial soil divided up into parallelograms by drains that 
 were four to five feet wide and from three to six feet deep. The soil 
 was wonderfully rich and was not planted with Hci'ca seeds but three 
 foot stumps, as the seeds and the tender shoots have so many animal 
 and insect enemies that stumping is far more successful. These stumps 
 are nursery plants cut back into the brown, set out carefully and never 
 shaded. Not only is the top cut back, but the tap root is shortened a 
 bit to prevent doubling, and the laterals are also trimmed a little. 
 
 This planting is done in any month of the year when the rains are 
 on. In preparing, the ground holes are dug fifteen to eighteen inches 
 
 MR. bailey's bungalow, klang. 
 
 in diameter and about the same number of inches deep, the hole being 
 left open for two weeks, after which a little of the surface soil is scraped 
 in. Then the plant is set and carefully covered in. The trees that are 
 ready for tapping are selected, not by their age but from their size. 
 For a general rule anv Hczra that is thirty inches in circumference, three 
 feet from the ground, is large enough to produce rubber. In a planta- 
 tion in a good location in this ])art of the world, the trees mature about as 
 follows: At the end of the fifth year about 25 per cent, will 
 be large enough to tap; at the sixth year there will be 50 per cent., 
 and at the seventh all of them should be big enough. 
 
AXD Till: M.II.AY SlWriiS 
 
 83 
 
 Spcakinj^' as^ain of tlie draiiias^c system at Lowlands, it was niarvcl- 
 (luslv complete, all of the channels leadin,^' into the ^reat agricultural 
 drain that ran through the middle of the ])lantation, and which, I believe, 
 Avas a government enter|)rise. 
 
 In examining the ])lanlation w f walked over good i)aths hv the si<le 
 of the drains, crossing them on tree trunk bridges, and ended bv driving 
 over two very good roads that led to the heart of the ])lanting. The 
 oldest rubber on Lowlands was some five himdred acres of tive-vear 
 
 FOUR YEAR OLD PLANTED "FICUS. 
 
 I On the Lowlands and Highlands estate. Showing the Aerial 
 Roots as thrown down at this age. Hcvca trees in the 
 background.] 
 
 old trees, ntunbering 52.000. These had been later interplanted with 
 •another 52,000 of varying ages. There were also one hundred and twenty 
 acres of two-year old trees. 18.000 in number. The largest five-year olds 
 that I saw were twenty-seven inches in circumference, three feet from 
 the ground, and were in a lot that was planted 20X20 feet. Speaking of 
 distances observed in planting. ]Mt. Bailey had tried many experiments. 
 He had plots 14X14. 14X28, 14X42, 14X20. and 24X2J. feet. The 
 latter plantings were almost all interplanted later with Ficiis clastica. 
 There was also considerable cofifee in with the rubber, and as it happened 
 to be of an especiallv fine quality, at that time it was paving all of the 
 expenses of the planting anrl care of the rubber. 
 
84 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 The laborers were a mixed lot. being Tamil, Chinese, and Javanese 
 coolies. The Tamils are rather hard to get but are fairlv good laborers ; 
 the Chinese coolies are good rough laborers but are not the equal of 
 the Javanese. As there is a glut of labor in Java there is a likelihood 
 that the planters in the Malay states will be able to get many of them, 
 and as they all speak Malay and are content with thirty-five to forty 
 cents, Mexican, a day, and find themselves, they are much sought after. 
 Besides they would far rather work for an Englishman than a Dutchman. 
 
 RUBRER PLANTATION VIEW IN SELANGOR, FEDERATED MALAY .'-TATES. 
 
 [Four year old "Ficus" — Selangor Rulil)er Co.] 
 
 After visiting Highlands estate and looking over the cofifee mill. 
 Air. r)ailey took me for a drive out in the outskirts of Klang, that I 
 might see the small plantings of the Chinese. These were of no especial 
 moment, being chiefly coffee gardens growm up with grass, with a few 
 I'icKs clasfica or Hci'ca trees put in at haphazard. One Chinaman, Cong 
 I.amb, however, had about twenty acres of coffee and Hcvca planted 
 15X15 feet, the trees looking about five years old and (|uite well grown. 
 
 But the plantations owned by Chinamen and run by Europeans are 
 another matter: for example, the Kong Yaik estate, which is managed 
 
/A7; 77//: M.I L.I]- ST. IT US 
 
 85 
 
 I)y Air. I{. \'. Carey. Here arc three hundred acres containing- some 
 60,000 trees that averag-e three years of ao^e. Most of this rnl)lx-r is 
 planted 20X10 feet. ahh()u,!-li tlierc is some loXio and 15X15. < )ne 
 advantaj:;:e of the 10X10 plantin-;- was that almost no weedino- was 
 necessary, the o:round l)ein,o- al)sohitely free from all ve,<,^etation. Wliile 
 o:oing- over this plantation Air. Carey and 1 experimentid with a two- 
 handled tapi)ino- knife, an invention of his, whicli certainly did very 
 ettective work. 
 
 RUBBER PLANTATION VIEW IN SELANCOR, FEDERATED MALAY STATE;^ 
 
 [Five year old "Hevea" — Pataling Estate.] 
 
 Next to the estate of which Mr. Carey has charoe is the I'>atu L'njor 
 plantation owned hy a wealthy Chinaman, Loke Yew, on which there 
 are some 17,000 four and one-half year Hcz'cas which looked tirst rate. 
 
 The land in Selangor helongs to the state and is accpiired by the 
 payment of two dollars, Alexican, an acre cash, and one dollar an acre 
 annual rental in perpetuity ; twenty-five per cent, of the land nnist be 
 under cultivation within five years, or it reverts to the g-overnment. At 
 the same time the powers that be are very lenient and disposed to help all 
 honest etTort by granting; time extensions. There is also a two and one- 
 
86 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 half per cent, ad z'aloreiii export duty on such products as rubl^er that 
 is a part of the land grant. 
 
 That evening- many friends of Mr. Bailey "s drojiped in and dined 
 and later visited the Klang Club, where I met a score or more of young 
 Englishmen who were connected either with the government or with 
 the plantations in the neighborhood.' 
 
 The next morning my host took me bv rail to Batu Tiga. where is 
 another big rubber plantation in which he is interested — the Selangor 
 Rubber Co., or, in the native, Sungei Rengam. We put in three hours 
 
 RUBBER PLANTATION VIEW IN SELANGOR, FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
 
 [Panoramic view of the Highlands and LowLinds Estate.] 
 
 of hard tramping over this estate, and got very hot and damp. But 
 it was well worth while. 
 
 The plantation is seven miles from Klang, on the railroad that joins 
 Klang with Kula Lumpur. There is also a fine government road soon 
 to go through this estate. It consists of 5,150 acres, of which 1,150 are 
 alreadx- opened and in rubber. To this will be added three hundred 
 acres this vear, the trees being planted about twt) hundred to the acre. 
 The soil is a rich alluvial, slighth- r(*lling. and is cut ])\ huge draius that 
 
AND run M.iL.n: status 
 
 87 
 
 lead into the Klani; and the Damansara River. The oldest plantinij^ was 
 made in May, i8(;,S, and was 24X36 feet, this plantintr being quincunxed 
 in the latter part of the same year and in (;)ct()l)er, 1900, was still further 
 interplanted. The last planting, iKnvever. is so thoroughly shaded by the 
 earlier that it is doubtful if it amounts to anything. The trees in the 
 
 "hkvea" ox the vallambrosa estate, klaxg. 
 
 first planting average 28^ inches in circumference, three feet from the 
 ground, the largest being forty-seven and 52^ inches in circumference. 
 Of the plantings already mentioned, there were ninety acres 24X36 
 feet, and forty-five acres 14X14. These latter showed an average of 
 29^ inches circumference at the base, and nineteen inches live feet from 
 
88 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 the ground. In 1899 there were thirty acres planted 12X12 and ninety 
 acres 14X14- The former measured when I was there, on an average, 
 twenty-six inches at the hase and sixteen inches five feet from the 
 ground. In 1900 there were two hundred and eighty-five acres put 
 into Para and forty-seven acres in "ramhong" or Ficns clasfica. There 
 are also various other plantings of Para and Ficits. alternating, of Para and 
 
 CUTTING A KOAIl THROUGH JUNGLE. 
 
 coffee, and of Ficiis alone. The Ficits, when alternated with Para, seems 
 to do wonderfully well, as does also the Para. 
 
 The greatest care is taken of this plantation, the whole area heing 
 weeded hy hand until the shade hecomes so dense that no weeds grow, 
 all of the aerial roots of the Ficus heing cut awav except those that 
 
WA7J 77//:" MALAY S'lAlliS 89 
 
 \vill develop into good straight trunks, and the keenest sort of watcH 
 being kept for white ants, which are always to be found in the new 
 land. As tapping will l)c'gin the next year, a rubl)er curing house 20X60 
 feet has been built, and all ])reparations are being made for turning 
 out the best (|ualit\- of rubber. All of the trees seem to produce latc.i 
 abundantly, although there was a wide difference in the appearance 
 of the bark, some being (|uite white, while others showed a distinct shade 
 of red. There were a variety of theories as to the cause of this, but 
 the real reason was not a])])arent. 
 
 After the examination of the Sclangor estate, and a verv ])leasant 
 visit with the manager, at his bachelor bungalow, where, by the way, 
 he presented me with a cane made of polished sections of a great variety 
 of hard woods indigenous to that countr\-, we again trjok train and 
 started for the Pataling estate. The road ran for some miles through 
 the densest sort of jungle, the land on one side for some six miles being 
 owned ])v the Selangor com])any. Wlien we reached Pataling we found 
 that the superintendent, Mr. Rendle, was awaw as was also his wife. 
 His assistant, Mr. Smith, was there, however, and he urged us to come 
 up to the bungalow, which was prettih- located on an eminence over- 
 looking the plantation, and ordered the Malay servant to ])repare for 
 us "mukan," in other words, food. While we ate, it rained very heavily, 
 but soon after cleared up and we were so sure that the storm was over 
 for the day that we allowed a black bov to take our mackintoshes down 
 to the station while we examined the rubber. The soil here seemed 
 a trifle hard and was more hilly than that which I had before examined, 
 but the rul)ber looked well. After examining that on the hillsides we 
 went down to a lower level and were just beginning to take measureiuents 
 when the rain came down in torrents. We each selected a big tree, 
 under which we stood for a while, but ere long even that was no pro- 
 tection, so we started for the railway station. W'e were now drenched 
 to the skin and the walking was very bad. We, however, caught our 
 train, and in due time arrived in Klang, where, after a change of cloth- 
 ing and a substantial dinner, we felt as well as ever. 
 
 1 had hoped to have time to run down to Port Dickson and visit 
 Mr. \'. R. Wickwar. who has a fine plantation of Hcvca, but I found 
 my time would not admit of it. Xor did I visit the Pears plantation 
 in Muar, as the owner, to whom I had letters, was absent in England. 
 
 Speaking of close planting and hand weeding, I could not but be 
 struck with the fear that the planters have of fire. ]\Ir. Bailev, who 
 at one time had charge of a large plantation in Johore. told me that 
 
90 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 the -fire once got into some thousands of acres of his sago, and although 
 he had five hundred men of his own and nine hundred lent him by the 
 sultan, thev were weeks in getting it under. He had, bv the way. some 
 hundreds of acres of Ceara rubber which were also destroyed. 
 
 There is little Castilloa planted in Selangor. I saw a little on Low- 
 lands, which bled freely, but the planters do not care for it, as they 
 believe that either the Hevea or the Ficus is superior. The latter tree 
 is or course a native of this land, and grows to great size. There are 
 
 
 VIEW (IX THE I'l.AXTATIOX OF THE SELAXGOR RUBBER CO.. FEDERATED MALAY STATE.- 
 
 ["Hevea" planted April, iqco.| 
 
 reports of as much as one hundred pounds l)eing taken from a single 
 tree. Ten-year-old trees are said to produce from twelve to fifteen 
 pounds. 
 
 The time came all too soon for lue to say goodbye to the Baileys, 
 whose generous hospitality I shall always remember, and the following 
 forenoon saw me in a sampan headed for the Sal^[^ho, which lay far out 
 in the river. I got aboard finally, and was greeted by Captain Foster 
 like a long lost friend. The voyage back to Singapore was uneventful, 
 the sea being perfectlv smooth, and the temperature bearable. 
 
.L\L) Til J: MALAY S'J.lThS 
 
 91 
 
 'I'owards evenino; we came in siqht of Malacca, but. imicli to ni\ 
 regret, did not ^ct a chance to t;o ashore. In fact, cjur captain being' in 
 a hiuTN , we iVu\ not even anchor, but hove to in the open roadstead and 
 there received tlie aj^ent, tiie health ot^cers, port warden, and a few 
 pa.ssengers. Here at Malacca is quite a large plantation of Hci'ca owned 
 by a Chinaman, who speaks good English and who is the proud possessor 
 of some 300,000 rul)l)er trees. I wanted niightih to have a look at it, 
 but time did not ])ermit. 
 
 
 ^'•tSE 
 
 YOUNG "HEVEA seedlings IN BEDS, IN MANURE TEST. 
 
 [No. 2.] Poudrette. [No. ,^.] Mixed Lime and Soil. [No. 4.] Burnt Earth and Leaves. 
 [No. 5.] Cow Dung. [No. 6.] Burnt Earth. 
 
 Again in Singapore I called tipon Mr. Aflurra}'. a partner of Mr. 
 Bailey's, who had in the beginning smoothed my way appreciably, had 
 tiflfin with him. at the Singapore Club, and then hurried to get my pas- 
 sage arranged for on the Malta to Hong Kong. By the way. I took 
 from Mr. Murray two bottles of oil made from the nuts of the Hc:-ca, 
 which were packed as carefully as possible and which were all right 
 until the strenuous baggage smashers of the L'nited States got hold of 
 
92 RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 
 
 I was also fortunate enough to have the time for another rickstiaw 
 ride over Orchard Road to the Botanic Gardens. Here I found that 
 Director Ridley's right hand man, Mr. De Alweis, had made a set of 
 photographs for me that embraced the whole of their varied growths of 
 India-rubber and Gutta-percha trees. One of the most striking of these 
 was the photograph of the Hcvca seed beds, in which the effect of various 
 manures was shown. The experiments covered the use of poudrette, 
 mixed lime and soil, burnt earth and leaves, cow dung, and burnt earth. 
 As may be seen in the illustration on this page, the rubber trees planted 
 with cow dung far surpassed all the others in height and sturdy growth. 
 
 The next day I said farewell to Singapore and was well on my way 
 to China, Japan, the Sandwich Islands, San Francisco, and home; that 
 in brief is the finish of my visit to the rubber plantations in the Far East. 
 
 On my way home I met those who were deeply interested in rubber 
 culture, as a future development of the rich lands in French Indo China, 
 British North Borneo, and Sumatra — in fact, wherever there is the con- 
 junction of proper soil, climate, and cheap labor. Even the Japanese are 
 preparing to plant rubber in Formosa. In the Philippines there is little 
 present interest, as the shutting out of Chinese and Javanese labor makes 
 the installation and care of a plantation far too costly to be remunerative. 
 
RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 
 
FIRST LirrTi-:R. 
 
 Foreword — From New York to the Border — Over the Alkah Plains — 
 Native Food — Mexican Opals — The Nochistongo Canal — Arrival at Mexico 
 City — Journey South of the Capital — Adventures at Achotal — On Horse- 
 back Over Forest Trails — The Demarest and Newmark Estates — xArrival at 
 "La Buena Ventura." 
 
 MY journey to the Ticrra Caliciitc, or "hot country," in Mexico, 
 was taken with the sole ohject of seeing for myself cultivated 
 ruhher planted by both individuals and stock companies. I 
 selected typical plantations as far as I could, most of them in the state 
 of N'era Cruz, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The states of Tabasco 
 and much of Oaxaca and Chiapas I was forced to leave out of my 
 
 
 
 native hut in the state of vera CRUZ. 
 
 itinerar}-, although they too have large and successful plantings, which I 
 hope to visit later. I left New York quietly and alone, paid all my own 
 expenses for the whole trip, and carefullv avoided exploiting either 
 myself or those who had shares or land to market. This statement seems 
 necessary, because, since mv return, I have been asked in all seriousness 
 whether this or that company had me "under its wing." to use later for 
 advertising purposes. I wish also to add a word of thanks for the 
 courtesy, the generous hospitality, and the frank, helpful cordiality 
 extended to me by the planters whom it was m\- good fortune to visit. 
 May I add that, of the conclusions drawn from my visit — while they 
 
 95 
 
96 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 prove to me that certain procedure in clearing, planting, care, etc., is 
 vital in the localities under consideration — it does not follow that, given 
 a different locality, soil, and climatic conditions, other methods might 
 not prove necessary. 
 
 In spite of an innate belief in my own pre])aredness for the Mexican 
 pilgrimage, when ready to start I lost no time in consulting persons who 
 had gone before as to material equipment for the journey. The advice 
 received solved itself into the purchase of a broad-brimmed soft hat. 
 
 C.\NE FIliEK RAINCOAT. 
 
 neglige shirts, light flannel underwear, a "navv bag"" (a dress suit case 
 on horseback, being a source of worry and a constant temptation to land- 
 ing on one"s head), and a pair of long-legged moosehide "snake boots." 
 To this was added later a Colt"s revolver and holster, to be worn in the 
 unsettled country south of the City of Mexico ; a rubber poncho coat that 
 looked like a long, tan colored nightshirt, a linen suit, and for medicines, 
 a box of cascarets, a bottle of chloranodyne, and a ])int of two grain 
 
isr/iMi's oi' Tin I r. I XT HP EC 
 
 97 
 
 quinine pills. Had I ai^prcciated the ])erlin;icity cjf the Mexican flea, 
 I should have added a hUnver and a jmund or two of Dalmatian powder. 
 It was snowing;- when nur train left jersey Cit}', starting tor the 
 southland. Nor did winter really forsake us until we were well into 
 the Indian Territory. As a matter of fact, I do not think I fully realized 
 that I was on my wa\' to the land of the Lastilloa, until 1 awoke one morn- 
 ing- and saw the dwarf cactus that grew hy the side of the track, and 
 further on, at San Antonio, Texas, began to note the picturesque Mexican 
 
 
 1^ 
 
 M 
 
 ii 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■f 
 
 g 
 
 ■ 
 
 COCOA FIBER RAINCOAT. 
 
 costumes and the subtle influence in architecture, climate, and soil, that 
 proclaimed our nearness to a land of strange peoples, customs, and 
 language. Finally we crossed the Rio Grande, drew up on Mexican 
 soil, had our baggage examined by dark complexioned officials who were 
 polite beyond belief, changed our money, getting two dollars and fifty- 
 eight cents for each dollar of Uncle Sam's currency, and were at length 
 in the land of the Aztecs. 
 
98 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 E. F Fi?k.Enprav(T. X.V 
 
I ST II Mrs or I liiir.ix'i liPJic 
 
 99 
 
 The Ixinlcr town where we iiKuk' nnr entry is kiKiwii ;is (, ui<la(l 
 Porfirio Diaz — the first w.ird ineanin.^- ■"cily."" Here ah was Si)anisli, or 
 rather .Mexiean, the adohe licnises, the half clad liuhan children who 
 l)e!;-i;ed softK, "//// ccittaro Sotor." and the placid, care-free appearance 
 i)f the railroad men, who had the air of havinj;- hnt little on their minds, 
 and no cause for hurr\- or wurrw were all in marked contrast to the 
 hustling, hustling- atmos])here that is so much in e\idence on this side of 
 the horder. After pulling out of Diaz, we retired, slept soundly, and 
 waked to hreakfast in Torreon. three thousand seven hundred feet above 
 the level of the sea. It was a real Mexican hreakfast. although cooked 
 and served hv Chinese, and eaten in a leisurely way that did not at all 
 suggest a waiting train. 
 
 PRIMITIVE MEANS UK 
 
 To digress a moment: When I say we. 1 refer to myself and 
 wdiatever- chance acquaintance I might be thrown in with at the moment. 
 As far as Torreon I had had three such — a sugar planter who left at 
 St. Louis ; an arm\- officer, home from the Philippines, wdio got off at 
 San Antonio, and a young English mining engineer, who was to estab- 
 lish himself permanently at Zacatecas. The last named was a nice fellow, 
 but verv serious withal, and responded with extreme reluctance to any 
 attempted humor. For example, he had noted, as I said, the influx of 
 Americans to the country, and said : 
 
 "By the wav. those planters now. what do they raise?"' 
 I replied, "The older ones, who are settled down, raise pineapples, 
 cacao, and rubber: most of the younger ones raise Cain." 
 
 Lore. 
 
lOO 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 "But don't any of the older ones go into the sugar business, too?" 
 he inquired. 
 
 The whole of the first day's ride on Mexican soil was through a 
 lofty plateau, very bare and dry. the chief vegetation being the giant 
 cactus. In spite of the closing of the car windows, the fine alkali dust 
 sifted in. coating everything, and making it quite difficult to breathe. 
 Towards evening we reached the mining city of Zacatecas. which is more 
 than eight thousand feet above the sea level, wdiere we were told that 
 we should have difiiculty in breathing, because of the rarefied atmos- 
 phere. As a matter of fact, none of us sufl:"ered the slightest incon- 
 venience. We did suffer a disappointment in not being able to see the 
 city, which lies hundreds of feet below the railway, but night had fallen. 
 
 MAQUEY PLANT.ATION NEAR MEXICO CITY. 
 
 and we could only guess its location from the twinkling lights far below 
 us. The next morning we passed through Queretara, where M'aximilian 
 was executed, and breakfasted at Tula, a station some miles further on. 
 Here we were introduced afresh to the staple articles of Mexican food, 
 the tortilla and the frijolc. The former is a flat cake of unleavened bread 
 made of corn flour, that tears like blotting paper and is about as palatable. 
 It is made by the native women, who treat the corn first with a solution 
 of lye to destrov the outer skin, and then they crush it on a little three- 
 legged stone table, called a mutate, h\ means ( f a stone niaiio or rolling 
 pin. This, mixed with water, is l)aked, and is apparenth- much ])rized 
 by the natives. The frijolcs or Mexican l)eans are of two kinds, iicgros 
 and blanca — that is, black and white. To my palate the black ones are 
 
isr/iMCs or T/inr.i\Ti:[>/ic 
 
 lOI 
 
 altoi^ctluT tlic l)rsl. aUli()U,i;h I cnjuyed Ixiili. The Akwicans are also 
 ver\- fond of meats wliicli are conked almost as soon as killed, and there- 
 fore, apt to he tonsil. In their cooking- the\- nse a i;reat deal of lard 
 and make a ,L;rcasy coin]>ound that a i^i'iiigo stomach hnds hard to dii^est. 
 I think it was at Tula that we ji^ot a first sis^ht of Mexican opals. 
 It is well known that almost everN' visitor to the land of the Aztecs has 
 a vision of the pnrchase of ojxds at an exceed in^K- low price, and the 
 best of stones at that. It was here that we all had onr chance. Several 
 dark lined vendors showed ])ackages of stones that were beauties. The 
 askinji- price was high, however, and was lowered only when the train 
 l)egan to move. We all knew what this meant. .\ hurried assent, the 
 transfer of the coin and the package of o])als, and the snl)se(|uent dis- 
 
 SXOW CAPPED (IKI/.AP.A 
 
 covery that another package of less valuable stones had been deftly sub- 
 stituted. So we all refused to purchase. Did I say all? One shrewd 
 Yankee watched his chance, made his purchase, and came back chuckling. 
 
 "I fixed that moco," he said; "I gave him four big Mexican cents 
 instead of as many quarters." When he opened his packet, however, 
 his face fell, for it contained only common pebbles. 
 
 A few miles south of this we had a line view of the great Xochis- 
 tongo Canal, which in some parts is six hundred feet wide and two hun- 
 dred feet deep. It was begun back in 1608, as a drainage canal for the 
 vallev of Mexico. The railroad runs for miles by the side of it, and 
 when one appreciates the fact that every bit of the earth was taken out in 
 
I02 RUBBER PLANTIXG ON THE 
 
 baskets on the backs of peons, the magnitude of the work is appalling. 
 The canal was never completed, as there was an error in the levels, 
 amounting to al^out forty feet, over which the water refused to run. 
 
 Soon after this the eternal snows of Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl 
 sprang into sight, and although few of the passengers pronounced either 
 of the words correctly, all seemed to be sufficiently impressed. We 
 learned here that the former of the two mountains had been purchased 
 by the Standard Oil Co., who are to work the vast sulphur deposits in 
 the crater above the snows. The second volcano was exploited to us by 
 a polite Mexican who said that the Aztec name meant "the lady of the 
 snows,"" and he pointed out that the irregular ])eaks of this mountain, 
 with their snowv mantle, took on the figure of a woman l}iug on hei' 
 back with her arms folded. All the rest of the party said that the like- 
 ness was perfect, and to save trouble I agreed with them, but it really 
 looked more like a couple of huge circus tents fresh from the laundry. 
 
 MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ENGINE 
 
 Shortly after this, we reached the City of ]\Iexico, took a carriage, 
 drove to a hotel built in a holknv square, with tiled floors, stuccoed walls, 
 and rooms without baths. Here we unpacked our traps, sent out and 
 bought soap, and spent two hours in making alkaline solution from the 
 various strata of dust that had settled upon our editorial i)ers;)n. 
 
 It was middav, and hot — uncomfortably so in the sun; and just 
 here I want to speak of the climate of the city, and then dismiss the 
 matter forever. It mav l)e all that is claimed for it l)y guideliooks and 
 railwav folders, at certain seasons, luit it struck me as far from perfect. 
 At night it was so cool that a heavy suit and a light overcoat were neces- 
 sary, while in the middle of the day one yearned for pajamas and sandals. 
 When one gets really chilly, there seem to l)e but two ])laces to get warm ; 
 one is the I'nited States and the other the Isthnuis of Tehuantei^ec. 
 
/.S77/.l/r.V (;/•" T/i/I(\l.\ri:l'I:C 103 
 
 There doesn't exist a firepl.-ice, a stow, or anv sort of heating apparatus, 
 in hotel or ])rivate house. Indeed, tlie inhahitants of the eity claim that 
 such are unlicalthx, and the result is that every stranger courts ]jneu- 
 monia, unless exceedingly careful. The city itself is heautiful, and has a 
 chocolate-colored ]ioliceinan at every corner; a ])o!ite little chap who 
 appreciates a ti]) or a good cigar, and who will do anything in reason for 
 the well heliaxed. 
 
 1 spent two da\s in the capital, and was very much impressed with 
 its beauties. I'or a description of the buildings, customs, and places of 
 interest, one need onl\ turn to the many excellent guidebooks on sale 
 everywhere. There are two points, however, which these publications do 
 not touch upon. One is the very sincere and deserved admiration which 
 
 LOOKING DOWN UPON MALTRATA FROM THE TRAIN 
 
 visitors of every nation openly express for President Diaz, and another 
 is the fact that American moneymakers, in a great variety of lines, are 
 getting a very strong foothold in the city, to its marked benefit and to 
 theirs. 
 
 Like any other tenderfoot, I had brought with me a lot of luggage, 
 which a closer view of conditions in the Terra Caliciifc showed to be 
 unnecessary. Most of this I left in the City of Mexico, and started forth 
 early one morning, clad in a summer suit, flannel shirt, and broad-brimmed 
 hat, with a Colt thirty-eight strapped to my waist, and bearing for lug- 
 gage, a small Ijag and a Mexican blanket. I fountl the conditions on 
 trains south of Mexico Citv radically diiiferent from those to the north. 
 
I04 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 There were, for example, first, second, and third class cars, with no Pull- 
 mans. The first class car might have been a baggage car for all the 
 luggage that the passengers had, and it might have been a smoking car 
 for the way in which both sexes smoked cigarettes ; indeed, it might 
 have been a barroom for the way that the train boy served native cognac 
 and beer. Aly seatmate, a powerful Swede, appreciated some of these 
 Providences more than I did. As he was interested in rubber planting, 
 and particularly as he understood Spanish, we became quite friendlv, and 
 before I knew it he was taking my trip right out of mv hands. He ver- 
 bally hustled me through Mexico, and by this time would have had me 
 in Patagonia, had I not put on the brakes. 
 
 The first part of my journey from the city, the road ran through 
 enormous maguey plantations, from which Mexico's national drink, the 
 
 
 Pi 
 
 M 
 
 1 
 
 STREET SCENE IN CORDOBA 
 
 pulque, is drawn. Then, after miles of dusty plain, the road (near Esper- 
 anza) runs close to the mountain side, disclosing, some four thousand 
 feet below, the little native village of Maltrata. Zigzagging round the 
 mountain, tunneling through projecting rocks, clinging to the edge of 
 awful precipices, the train curves and slides, until it finally gets down to 
 the plain, and the powerful double-headed locomotive which held it back 
 stops with a veritable sigh of relief. 
 
 Leaving Maltrata, the course still contiues down hill, following the 
 windings of a mountain stream some hundreds of feet below, until we 
 finally sight Orizaba, clothed in eternal snow, lifting its head high above 
 all surrounding peaks, and to mv mind far more beautiful and impressive 
 than Popocatepetl or its sister summit, over which tourists rave. After 
 
/STI/MCS Ol' 1 IUIi\l\llil>liC 
 
 \o- 
 
 a brief sto]) at tlic niuuntain iK'd.^ed city of (Jrizaha, \vc left the train 
 at Cordoha. where the Spanish of niy traveling comijanion was most help- 
 ful in securing accommodations at a little Mexican hotel, where we had a 
 reall\ good dinner and comfortable beds. 
 
 In the morning we took an early train over the \'era Cruz and Pacific 
 road for Achotal, its terminus. Although the run is not a lon<>- one, 
 it takes from six o'clock in the morning till one the following mornino- 
 to make it. 
 
 ( FICUS BENJAMIN,\. 
 
 That we were getting into an unsettled country was luuch more 
 apparent than ever before, the cars being guarded b\ 'ntralcs ( the native 
 military police ) . and the passengers, both Americans and Mexicans, having 
 the free and easy demeanor which characterized the early davs of the Far 
 West. The conductors and train hands were Americans, as were many 
 of the passengers, all of whom were going south and most of them 
 interested in rubber planting projects. As was natural, the Americans 
 
io6 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 and English gravitated together, and I heard many interesting facts 
 concerning the countr\- and much concerning rubber planting. 
 The verdict of those who were not directly interested in the 
 business seemed to be that there was nothing in it. and 
 that rubber trees could never be grown. Indeed, one passenger said 
 flatlv that he had been in the country a number of years, but he had 
 never seen a rubber tree, and didn't believe they could be grown anyhow. 
 This did not seem to disturb the serenity of the planters who didn't 
 argue the matter at all. but let the others talk. We passed a rather 
 
 ■;.c^. ***. , 
 
 -^ 
 
 
 »; 
 
 Z.-K-; 
 ^ Xj 
 
 ■m 
 
 
 
 
 LA| JUNTA CORNER OF RUBBER FIELD ONE YEAR OLD. 
 
 wearisome day on the train, stopping occasionally for meals and gettmg 
 them served more and more in pioneer fashion. I had intended to stop 
 off at Tierra IJlanca. in the vicinity of which are large plantations, 
 but learning that the men whom I most wished to see were al)sent. I left 
 that for a Tater visit. I'inally. at one o'clock in the morning, we reached 
 Achotal, the train returning at once and leaving us standing on the plat- 
 form of the only frame building in the i^lace. the depot, which was 
 promptly locked. 
 
fSTllMrS or TlilllWXTIiPliC 
 
 107 
 
 1 am moved to tell of my e.\])ericiice at Achotal, not to deter the 
 timid or comfort loving- from venturing- into this ]jart of the country, 
 but as a bit of history, for within a very few uKjnths it will cease to be 
 a pioneer railroad terminal, with its tramps, its native workmen, and its 
 flourishing- cantina, and it will settle <lown as a safe, prosaic, Mexican 
 way station, in fact, this chaui^e was almost due when 1 was there, for 
 track had been hastily laid and construction trains run down to Santa 
 Lucretia. where it is to join with the National Tehuantepec Railway. 
 This construction train, by the way. we were to take some time about six 
 o'clock in the mornin^s^, and after riding- about fifteen kilometers. I plannefl 
 to stop at Santa Rosa, and thus reach a lart;e private rubber plantation 
 operated l)v an oldtime friend of mine. 
 
 LA FLOREXCIA. — PLANTATION HOUSE. 
 
 To l)e left in a town like Achotal at one o'clock in the morning", with 
 the kiK^wledge that it would l)e hard wr,rk to get a bed. is not a partic- 
 ularlv cheerful prospect. One of mv planter friends, Mr. W. L. Adams 
 of Ixtal, however, whom I shall always remember gratefully, piloted 
 me across the muddv track, walked me over a narrow, springy plank 
 w'hich rested against a steep bank, and I saw fronting- me the few palm 
 thatched native huts which make up the town. Entering one of these, 
 we found that there was no room at all, every available space being taken 
 b\' canvas cots and conscientious snorers. Leading me further up the 
 hill, however, he forced his way into another hut, roused the owner, and 
 finallv secured for me a cot. This I took possession of. and prepared to 
 
io8 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 make myself comfortaljle. as had a half dozen Mexicans, each of whom 
 had a similar resting place. 
 
 All were not asleep, however ; in fact, mv nearest neighbor, a mus- 
 cular young iiioco, was just disrobing. While he undressed, his hat, 
 which lav on the cot, showed that it was preempted. Everything was 
 peaceful ; the snores of the sleepers, the stamping of the horses outside, 
 the grunting of the pigs that had come in the open doorway and were 
 seeking what they could devour, and the scratching of the flea tormented 
 
 
 
 N- / J'M 
 
 
 LA FLORENCIA. — TAPPING LARGE WILD RUBHEK TREE. 
 
 dogs, being the only sounds of life. Breaking in upon all this peace 
 came the big Swede, with a very substantial ''jag," and took possession 
 of the iiiorjo's cot, throwing his hat upon the floor, whereupon the native 
 drew his knife, preparatory to a pointed argument. Not that I cared 
 particularly for the ;ho^o, or for the Swede, but in the interests of fair 
 play I interfered, telling the latter that if he insisted upon taking the 
 cot, the inorjo should have mine, whereupon he went out with some 
 grumbling, and wra])ping myself in my blanket I went to sleep, feeling 
 
no RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 that I had done a good turn for a dark-skinned, downtrodden brother. 
 I was not to rest long, however, for I was awakened h\ the reentrance 
 of the Swede, who came to inquire pohtely if the strangeness of my 
 surroundings kept me from sleeping. I assured him they did not, and 
 he departed satisfied, and I dropped off to sleep again. Suddenly, how- 
 ever, 1 was awakened by the feeling that some one was looking me in 
 the face, and opening my eyes I saw the inozo with his face about three 
 inches from mine and his hand outstretched toward my breast pocket. 
 1 have forgotten just what I said to him, but it was most emphatic, and 
 he went back and la}- down, while I, wrapping my blanket tightly about 
 me, dropped into another doze, but not for long. Back came the Swede, 
 with more of a "jag" than ever, and sat on the side of my cot. and wished 
 aloud that he had a place to lie down, so I got up, and gave him my cot, 
 and went and sat in the doorway, and smoked and thought. 
 
 At five o'clock I succeeded in getting some coffee, which greatlv 
 refreshed me, and at nine o'clock I boarded the construction train, which 
 was made up of a wood burning engine, a boxcar for passengers, and 
 two flat cars loaded with railroad ties, inozos, and negroes. We crept 
 along at a snail's pace over the temporary track which was not ballasted 
 and which had sunk almost out of sight, sometimes, in the clayey mud, 
 and sometimes it slid a foot or two to right or left, threatening to over- 
 turn the car. That this latter was no idle dream was indicated by several 
 boxcars which we saw that had been tipped oft' into ditches along the 
 side. We finallv reached Santa Rosa and disembarked — that is, I did, 
 and mv cheerful planter friend, Adams, while all the rest went on. Santa 
 Rosa station is not a large one, the only building there being a ruined hut 
 of native build that had been in use when the pioneer railway camp 
 was there. 
 
 On the opposite side of the track, however, the land had been 
 cleared and planted to Castilloa, a part of the Demarest estate, my first 
 sight of the cultivated trees. They were growing on a well drained 
 hillside, in a rich, loamy soil, with a substratum of clay, and although 
 shedding their leaves, as they always do at the beginning of the dry 
 season, thev looked thrifty and healthy. ]\Iy companion sent one of his 
 men oft' through the forest to secure horses, and while he did that 1 
 drank in the beauties of that tropical scene. It was a glorious morning, 
 and everything possessed the charm of novelty. The huge forest trees, 
 studded with orchids and epiphytes, the marvelously dense growth where 
 no clearing had been made — a growth of trees, vines, and climbers so 
 thick that it would have been impossible to go ten feet through it with- 
 
ISrilMCS ()!■ TIUn'AXTEPEC 
 
 1 1 
 
 out ciUtiiij;- one's \va\ : llic parrots clialtcriiiL;' in the- trci,'s, the l)rilliant 
 maeaws tl\in!L; t«i and fro, and the weahh of llnwrrs. hii^- and little, held 
 nie s])elll;i)nnd. I was awakened tnmi ni\ re\ery hy .Mr. Adams, who 
 led me U]) o\er the hill where li\ed tlu- owner of the rul)her trees, who 
 welcomed ns warmlw and |)re])ared an ahundant meal, chattini^- most 
 entertainingly ahout the countr}- and its prospects. 
 
 After a siesta, the horses having; come, we mounted and trotted 
 
 
 
 A. MP X(>. 4. UN I'l.A.X TATIOX KUDIO. 
 
 gaily away: that is. Mr. Adams did, hut as I had not heen on horsehack 
 since I was ten years old, I felt anything l)ut frivolous. A Mexican 
 saddle, liowever, kept me within hounds, and verv soon the trail entered 
 the virgin forest and got so rough and muddv that the trot calmed down 
 to a walk, much to mv satisfaction. 
 
 I don't think I shall ever forg-et one particular place in that road, 
 
112 
 
 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 where we had to cross a niiuKly ravine with steep, claye_\' Ijanks on either 
 side, or how I sat back as far as possible while the horse slid down to 
 the Ijottom, and then suddenly reversed my position and got one hand 
 tight in his mane while he scrambled up the other: nor will I forget 
 how he tried to get out of the mud in the middle of the trail by walking 
 close to the trees, and of my frantic efforts to keep him away from the 
 spiney palms and numerous other bristling projections of the forest. 
 We finally emerged into the oi^en, however, and as we came out my com- 
 panion asked me how 1 liked it. 1 had by that time gotten into the spirit 
 -of the thing, and was thoroughly enjoying it, so that I could conscien- 
 tiously sav. "First rate." 
 
 "Well, that's the worst trail around here,'' he replied: "I thought 
 you might as well have that at the beginning." 
 
 WATER FKONT AT MAXITITLAN. 
 
 Copyrighted Photo by C. B. Waite, Mexico. 
 
 The rest of the ride was through a magnificent stand of cultivated 
 Castilloa trees, planted on rolling ground, about nine feet apart, showing 
 every evidence of intelligent care. Half an hour later, we drew up at 
 Newmark's plantation, which is known as El Ritero, and is a private 
 venture, embracing some four hundred acres of land, on wdiich are about 
 fifty thousand rubber trees, planted four or five feet apart in the rows. 
 They looked finely, and indeed the whole place, with its coffee, bananas, 
 etc., appeared to be most fiourishing. Here I was treated to a small red 
 banana about the size of one's thumb, that was the most delicious bit of 
 fruit one can imagine. 1 now parted from Mr. .\dams. and being taken 
 
114 RUBBER PLANTING OX THE 
 
 in charge by Mr. Newmark, soon reached La Buena A'entura, and 
 entered the house that was to be my headquarters during my stay in the 
 Trinidad River district. 
 
 I had not seen my friend Harvey, the founder of this tropical 
 enterprise, since we dined together at the Lotos Chilj in New York 
 four years liefore. He was then yearning to shake the snows of the 
 north from his feet and • hasten Ijack to the land where winter was 
 unknown. I doubt if he beheved that I would ever redeem mv ])romise 
 given then to visit him, and it was not for some time that I learned 
 the cause for this skepticism. It seems that man\- northerners come to 
 the City of Mexico — some venture to Orizaba and ]Joints easy of access 
 further south, Init few get as far as Achotal. ( )nlv a short time pre- 
 viously a well known New York lawyer arrived there at one in the 
 morning, saw what he was "up against," boarded the train, and started 
 back, though within ten miles of his destination. And that was why 
 mv host exclaimed, "Bv Jove, vou are reallv here !" 
 
isriiMi's oi' 'iiuir.w'Trj'iic 
 
 SEcuxi) lkt'I"i-:r. 
 
 A Prosperous Pkinatk Plantation — Huxtixg i-ok Ijarkkx RuuiiEK Trees — 
 Planting in P'avokaule and Unfavorable Locations — Conditions for Successful 
 Plantinc; — The Dry and Rainy Seasons — Visits to Neighboring Plantations — 
 IxTAL — Snakes — La Junta — The Agricultural Mozo— Xeciko Laborers — A 
 MinNiGiiT Ride — Freedom from Plant Pests. 
 
 THE site of the plantation. La Ihiena X'entura, five years ago 
 was virgin forest. At that time Mr. James l". Harvey and his 
 son, Clarence, ])urchase(l for themselves and their associates, (a 
 private corporation), one thousand acres of land and prepared to develop 
 it along the most practical lines. When the senior Air. Harvey 
 came to Alexico, it was with the idea of planting cotTee, hut after months 
 of study and a personal inspection of most of the Isthmus country, he 
 decided that India-ruhher offered the hest opportunity for profit, and 
 therefore he has turned the larger part of his land into a plantation of 
 Castilloa elastica. 1 am enlarging upon this trifle because, to my cer- 
 tain knowledge, the gentleman under consideration is not only an expert 
 horticulturist and botanist, but has studied tropical agriculture in Cen- 
 tral and South America, and in the East Indies and West Indies, and 
 beyond this he and his associates oft'ered no stock for sale, but went into 
 the business to make mone\- out of their own investment of capital, 
 energv, and knowledge. Such a plantation must, without fail, give the 
 visitor the best possible view of the practical end of the business. There 
 are, of course, manv such private estates in the tropics, but it happened 
 that this was the one that I knew most of. and to visit which I had a most 
 cordial invitation. 
 
 Here I was. therefore, installed in the palm thatched house, with 
 its earthern floor and liamboo walls, that for five years had been the 
 home of these hardv pioneers. The domicile was situated at one end 
 of a long ridge, on each side of which, with a rare eye to eft'ect. were 
 planted gorgeous flowering and foliage plants, and trees valuable for 
 fruit and for ornament. \^ery modestly the presiding genius showed 
 me sixty-five dift'erent species of palms, probably the largest collection 
 in the Americas. Not only were there palms native to the tropical parts 
 of America, but there were specimens from Java. Ceylon. New Guinea, 
 Queensland, the Eiji Islands. New South Wales, and a score of other 
 remote places. These were gathered, not as part of the planting proposi- 
 
ii6 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 tion, but fruni a ])lant lover's interest alone, which thev seemed to 
 appreciate by growing- luxuriantly. 
 
 Then, too, I must not forget the collection of orchids that hung 
 from the bamboo lattice outside of the house, and clung to the trees 
 on all sides ; nor the orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, banana, and plan- 
 tain trees, a notable part of the garden equipment. I looked with 
 interest also on the vanilla vines, the cacao plantation, and the twenty- 
 five varieties of pineapples, but my chief thought was rubber, and so 
 I soon found, was his. I do not wish to make mv planter friend blush, 
 but when I found the work he was doing, how widelv he was consulted 
 b}- planters both in Mexico and in distant tropical lands, I was more 
 than ever im]:)ressed with my wonderful luck in thus "striking oil" when 
 first I began to bore. So I asked questions, and questions, and questions, 
 and took notes most copiouslv all the time. 
 
 One of the first points that I wanted settled was, whether here or 
 elsewhere, there were Castilloa trees, either wild or cultivated, that did 
 not yield latex. So we both started out to find one such tree, by cutting 
 the outer bark — indeed, during all of the trip, I cut trees h\ the hundred 
 just to prove this point — but found none except in one instance. T was 
 much interested also to note the differences in the lafc.v as it issued forth. 
 In some instances the tree would send out a perfect shower of milk- 
 white drops, which coagulated rather slowly, while another near l)y 
 would exude a thicker fluid that began to coagulate almost immediatelv. 
 The natives claim that this latter tree is simply so rich in rubber that 
 it retards the flow, and that after a little tapping, it corrects itself and 
 the lafc.v becomes more fluid. 
 
 The younger trees gave out abundant lafc.v, Imt those that were 
 less than four years old gave a milk that seemed immature ; that is, it 
 did not coagulate into dry, hard rubber but remained cpiite sticky. I 
 noted also a curious thing in connection with this, which was that in 
 the younger trees the lafc.v l)egan to mature first near the base of the 
 tree, while up towards the branches it still remained of the sticky sort. 
 I'.ut we found no trees in this district that did nc^t \ield lafc.v abundantly. 
 
 At La Buena Ventura I was able to institute some exceedingly 
 interesting comparisons between the growth of th? rubber tree under 
 favorable and unfavorable conditions. In both cases the trees were 
 Castilloas, planted from selected seed. Tn the first instance the\- were 
 planted in the ojjen, about nine feet ai)art. on roUinv; land which had 
 good drainage. Measuring the circumference of the trunks a foot above 
 the ground, I got a fair average of 23.3 inches, ;uid an e^tiniat -d average 
 
ii8 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 height of twenty-two feet. The Ijanner Castilloa was a seedUng planted 
 in the open, that measured thirty-two inches in circumference 
 and twenty-five feet high. All of these trees had every 
 appearance of health and vigor, and gave forth milk abundantly. From 
 the records shown me. they were a trifle over four years old. In 
 the second instance, grown in partial shade, such as produced fine 
 cacao, with the land more level and not well drained, the trees being 
 planted at exactly the same time, and from the same lot of seed, I got 
 an average of 4.6 inches for circumference a foot above the ground, and 
 an average height of six feet. Anyone would not seem to need a more 
 graphic illustration than this of the necessity for observing proper con- 
 ditions in planting, and further, as a warning against planting in badly 
 drained land or in the shade. 
 
 It is well to note that where these failures appeared there were 
 several wild rubber trees that we estimated to be twenty-five or thirty 
 years old. They seemed to be perfectly healthy and bled freely. The 
 onlv reasonable explanation of this is that they were seedlings that grew 
 up slowly in the densest sort of forest when the tremendous surface 
 growth was so luxuriant as to lie able to partially drain the ground 
 through its great leaf areas, and also lift and make it porous b}- the 
 leverage of myriads of thrusting roots. The partial clearing of the land 
 later stopped most of this aerial drainage, and the subsequent rotting of 
 the roots allowed the ground to sink into a solid, water-sodden mass. 
 
 The land at La Buena \'entura seemed to be first leaf mold, then 
 a rich, yellow loam, three or more feet deep, and under that a blue, 
 clayey ooze, as if from the bottom of a tropical ocean bed. It was rolling 
 land, as a rule, very well drained, and capable of growing almost 
 anv tro])ical product. The C'lsfilloa orchard, through which I tramjied 
 manv times, had in it about two hundred and forty thousand trees, 
 from one to four years of age. All of them were planted from the 
 seed, except a small percentage taken from nursery stock to make u]; 
 for the occasional failure of a seedling. 
 
 One result of mv early observation, and one that grew with each 
 (la^■"s experience, was the conviction that a knowledge of climate, rain- 
 falls, soils, drainage, etc., is an absolute necessity from the beginning, 
 in the selection of suitable sites for rubber plantations. In other words, 
 the ex])ert tropical agriculturist, well equipped with common sense, is 
 most likeh- to be the one who starts right. For example, one plans to 
 plant the Castilloa. It is a soft, wood tree, a tree that from its physical 
 formation is not built to stand high winds, that with its long taproot 
 
ISTI/Mrs ()/■ 1 hJir.lSTEPlLC 
 
 119 
 
 must have a (k'cp, rich soil, and well drained withal. It is a deciduous 
 tree, which means that at a certain time each \ear it encourages the 
 presence of the sun's rays on its trunk and limhs. The prospective 
 planter should, therefore, ])ick out land that is covered with a growth 
 of soft, rather than hard wood trees, as the latter points to a gravelly 
 soil instead of clayey loam. It should he rolling land, or at least land 
 that is naturally well drained. It should be soil that will give the tree 
 plenty of moisttu'e during the dry season and yet that will not be soggy 
 dm'ing the wet season. For a running rule, there should be at least 
 four feet of drainage soil. In the clearing of the land, if there are not 
 natural windbreaks, a certain amount of forest should be left standing 
 to act as such. Referring again to the long taproot of the Castilloa, 
 
 HDTEL PALOM.VRES, M,\N1TITLAX. 
 
 [Copyrighted Photo by C. B. Waite, Mexico.] 
 
 it is said that as the tree grows older it often disappears, its place being 
 taken by large laterals. 
 
 I struck the Ticrra Caiiciifc just at the beginning of the dry season, 
 and therefore was curious to know exactly what constitutes the rainy 
 and dry seasons in the tropics. Of course, no general answer could 
 be given, as in dift'erent tropical regions these seasons have their own 
 idiosyncrasies. I believe I had luit little idea of what the weather was 
 in the rainv season, whether it rained all the time, or was partlv rainy 
 and partlv clear, and this is what I learned : In the state of \'era Cruz, 
 the drv season runs roughlv from Februarv to June. During the latter 
 part of ]\Ia\- there are about three weeks of genuine hot, drv weather. 
 
I20 RUBBER PLAXTIXG ON THE 
 
 I'rior to this, what is reahy the dry season is often broken by rainfall ; 
 in fact, it rains a little about half the time. Beginning with the first 
 of June, however, and lasting until the first of September, come the 
 torrential rains, except that there is, in August, a week or ten days 
 of dry weather. Xine days out of ten during the torrential rains, the 
 morning breaks l)right. clear and sunshiny. Then in the early afternoon 
 heavy thunder is heard, followed by the roar of the rain through the 
 forest, the water falling in sheets from one-half to one and .one-half 
 hours. It also rains regularly during the night. 
 
 When night fell at La Buena \'entura, we all went indoors, for 
 beautiful though the tropical moonlight is, fevers are most easily caught 
 after sundown, and particularly if one sleeps out in the open. In fact, 
 native or planter will do almost anything rather than thus expose him- 
 self. We did sit in the doorway, for awhile, and drink in the glorious 
 view of tropical luxuriance, made almost as light as day by the full 
 moon, yet softened to a weird, rich beauty that the northern climes 
 cannot ecjual. 
 
 For the first time in my life 1 slept under a gracefully draped series 
 of nmslin curtains. As there were no mosquitoes, 1 thought it rather 
 unnecessary until m)- host said that although the country was a para- 
 dise, centipedes, small snakes, and tarantulas sometimes dropped from 
 the inside of the thatched roof, and while the\- were not as poisonous 
 as man}- thought, I might not care to share my couch with them. I slept 
 under a blanket, it was so cool, and awoke to find awaiting me, at the end 
 of a palm thatched corridor, a fine shower bath. Few planters have 
 them, but Mr. Flarvey's English blood, so it is said, impelled him to 
 build this before he had a roof on his house. It was certainly a great 
 luxury, and one to which my thought often turned when later I awoke 
 from a night's alleged sleep in a passenger coach or native hut. 
 
 The day was Sunday, and we had cofifee and rolls soon after rising, 
 and breakfast about twelve, as is the custom of the country. In the 
 afternoon many neighboring ])lanters rode over on horses or nuiles. dis- 
 cussed crojDs, and asked the news from the outer world. The\- were 
 most cordial in their invitations to me to visit their places, and it was 
 with the greatest regret that I was able to avail myself of only a few 
 of these privileges. 
 
 It was during this social Sabbath that I renewed a pleasant acquaint- 
 ance with the two Fish brothers, Wisconsin Yankees, who were looking 
 at land in that region, and who, I believe, finally purchased La 
 l<"l()rencia estTte, said to have the oldest cultivated rubber in that 
 
/.V77/.1/C.V or '//■:ii[-.L\rii!'/:C 
 
 121 
 
 district. TIk'n were hustling alxuit, src-iii^ tliinj4> in a julK. Ijreczy 
 fasliion that mailc thnn must wcK-oiiic, and tliex- 1k'1])C(1 ine exceed- 
 ingly by giving nie excellent pliotograplis (jf nearby estates that I did 
 not have an c^pportunitx- to visit. 
 
 When tirst I strnck La lUiena \ entnra I must confess that the 
 languor of the climate, or (.'Ise m\- own innate laziness, led me ttj take 
 things very eas\ . The hammock in the famih- room was most inviting, 
 and in s])ite of the fact that " Loro,"" the green ])arrot. watched until I 
 nap])ed. and then climbed down from the rafters and gave me a friendK- 
 bite, I luxuriated — but onI\ for a couple of days, and the\- were far 
 Irom wasted, as I drank in lots of information from m\ h )st. 
 
 RUCIO. — INTERIOR OF TEMPORARY OFFICE. 
 
 The second day we started out to visit the neighbors. I wanted 
 to walk but that was out of the question, so I had mv second exj)erienL^e 
 as a horseman. I was devoutly thankful that mv little mare was lazv — 
 nor did I mind it that she always managed to step on mv toes just as I 
 prepared to mount. Ikit she did take advantage of me when she chose 
 to stop on a log bridge not more than two feet wide and standing on three 
 legs tried to bite a fly that she pretended was on the fourth. I did 
 not fall oil. but had I started her with voice or whin 1 think I should 
 have. She had a habit, too. of imagining she saw a snake ahead in 
 
122 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 the trail, and suddenK- leaping to one side. I staved with her every 
 time, and am still just as much surprised at it as she was. 
 
 Our first visit was to Ixtal, where I again had a chance to thank 
 Mr. Adams for his earlier helpfulness, and also to meet his right hand 
 man, Mr. Stewart. It was to ni}- mind the hottest day we had experi- 
 enced, when we finallv reached the ridge upon which the plantation 
 huildings were located. By that time I was getting to be somewhat 
 of a connoisseur in rubber trees, and so, after the noon breakfast, was 
 glad to accompany Mr. Adams on a tour of inspection. Here were 
 some two hundred and fifty acres planted to rubber, the oldest trees 
 being four years, and the total number about one hundred and fifty 
 thousand. 
 
 The land was very similar to that at La Buena Ventura, and the 
 growth about the same, although in a part of the plantation the trees 
 seemed to be a little taller. Latex flowed from them all abundantly, and 
 my guide said that he had never found one that did not show plenty of 
 milk. In discussing this question, Mr. Adams told of an Australian 
 scientist who had been in that region, and wdio claimed that there were 
 three native Castilloa species, only one of which was a rubber producer. 
 They all looked alike, so he said, and the difference in them could only be 
 detected by a careful examination of the cellular structure of the leaf. 
 He said further that he uprooted eightv per cent, of his own first year's 
 planting, because he did not know this. When he finally did get the 
 right tree big enough to tap, it bled so freely that he was obliged to 
 stop the cuts with clav, else it would have bled to death. We were able 
 to assure Air. Adams that this was not credible, to which he agreed. 
 
 One of the officials of Ixtal, Dr. Butcher, has a very pretty home 
 not far from the plantation headquarters, at which we called on our 
 way back. The Doctor and his wife received us hospitably, and while 
 the others chatted on neighborhood topics, the head of the house took 
 me out and showed me the skin of a big snake that he had just killed. 
 Now one of the common dreads that tlie tenderfoot carries with him 
 in the tropics is that of snakes. It would be folly to Vjclieve that 
 there is no danger from them, when one considers the impenetrable 
 jungles and the conditions that nature has prepared for an ideal reptilean 
 existence. As a matter of fact, however, during the whole of mv trip 
 I did not see a single live snake, big or little. I did see the skins of 
 some verv sizeable ones nailed to walls of the planters* houses, such as 
 that which Dr. Butcher showed me, but even those are rare. The 
 planters sav that this is due to the fact that the woods are full of wild 
 
124 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 hogs that consider any kind of snake, poisonous or otherwise, a great 
 dehcacy, and that those that escape the hogs are very likel\- to he caught 
 bv the hawks, which are very al)undant and always on the watch. There 
 are onlv two reahv poisonous snakes there, as far as known ; one is the 
 rahadc hcitso, which is small, quick, and very deadly, and seems to have 
 a special antipathy to mules : the second is called by the natives the 
 "sorda,"' and is something like the diamond rattlesnake, but has no 
 rattles. It has poison fangs an inch and a half long, is very slow to 
 move, and quite poisonous. There are also small pythons and some 
 big black racers, both harmless, however. 
 
 We returned to La Huena \'entura late in the afternoon, and 
 after a good nighfs sleep, were fully prepared for further visiting. Our 
 next journev was to La Junta, the largest plantation in that district. 
 Like all the others, the approach was through the forest, by the usual 
 trail that meant considerable rough riding, the fording of streams, plod- 
 ding through mud, and climbing over fallen tree trunks. l')y this time 
 I was fairlv used to it, however, and was enjoying it as I never would 
 bave believed possible. It was early in the afternoon when we emerged 
 from the forest and struck the broad, fine road that runs through the 
 plantation. We were now on a ridge that gave a fine view, not only 
 of the rolling land covered with young rubber trees, but some two miles 
 off we also saw the administration building and workmen's homes that 
 mark the center of the planting operations. The estate contains some 
 five thousand acres, of which about one-half is already cleared, most 
 of it planted to rubber. The trees are from seven to nine feet apart, 
 and looked as if the\- were in prime condition. The orchard numbers 
 about seven hundred and fifty thousand rubber trees. The oldest were 
 two vears and average 23.5 inches in diameter, a foot from the ground, 
 and about seven feet in height. For help, there are from two 
 hundred to four hundred men. one-half of whom are natives. Perhaps 
 here more than anvwhere else has lieen tried the experiment of importing 
 labor, and not depending en.tirely upon the native, who is not at all 
 times entirely reliable. 
 
 The average niozo. or agricultural ^al)orer. is, however, a most 
 interesting studv. If treated well, he is a good workman, r-nd that, too, 
 without anv ])articular reason why he should be. In tlie eomnuinity in 
 which he lives, he has allotted to him a certain amount of land, which 
 if tilled three months in the \ear very moderately, will i)ro(luce enough 
 to keep its owner in what is to him comfort, the year round. As a rule, 
 the uuKza is of medium height, strong and skille<l within certain narrow 
 
isriiMCs oi' riuir.ixriii'iic 
 
 12 = 
 
 liinil.-. l)Ul iL;ni)raiil, sui)crslilinus, and childlike. l'"or instance, he can 
 carry on his back ahiiost as much as an al)le liothed l)urri), hut if he were 
 to reach with both hands up the l)ranch of a tree over his head, he would 
 find it impossible to pull his chin up even with it. On the other hand, 
 he can use his iiuiclwtc, his constant companion, in the most skillful 
 manner, and tirelesslw For exam])le, he knows so thoroughly the text- 
 ure and density of all tropical vegetation, that he can cut his way 
 through the forest with scarcely a sound, grading each blow so as to 
 exactly sever vine, stalk, or limb, without waste of strength; or, if 
 
 'w-'r 
 
 *r:*- ^- 
 
 '\jj^ '•-»*^*^ "'V.. 
 
 KUBIO. — YOUNG PLANTED RUBBER. 
 
 given a stint of work in clearing weeds or undergrowth with the 
 machete, can do more in half a day than any other laborer can in a 
 day. The axe men among them are not as common as the maehete men, 
 but thev, too, are exceedingly skillful, wielding the straight handled, 
 broad bladed axe with marvelous ease, and felling a tree, no matter how 
 large it is, exactly where they wish. 
 
 As a rule, the natives are not well nourished, and seem to have 
 more sickness than do the foreign residents. Indeed, the stories of 
 yellow fever that come to us relate more to the native workman than to 
 
126 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 any other people. Strange as it may seem also, the workmen from the 
 hill country, when they get down in the hot countries, are very apt to 
 die of pneumonia. The inozo withal is an impractical sort of a chap, and 
 while he knows it. he doesn't seem to care to change. I heard a planter 
 point out to one of them that if he stayed on his own allotment, and 
 worked, he would in three months raise fifteen dollars worth of corn ; 
 on the other hand, if he worked three months for the planter, he would 
 get sixty dollars and all the corn he wanted. The native acknowledged 
 the force of the argument, but didn't see his way clear to change his 
 habits. They are a very serious people, as a rule, except when full of 
 aguardiente; then they become rather boastful, and are sometimes quar- 
 relsome. 
 
 A pretty custom of the country is the greeting that they always 
 give the traveler, and usually each other when thev meet. In the morn- 
 ing, it is "biienas dias" ; in the afternoon, "buenos tarde" ; and in the 
 evening, "biienos iwches." 
 
 The iiw::o is essentially a religious being, and his impulses find ample 
 scope in the thirty-five fiestas, or feast days, that have been provided for 
 him. He usually patronizes at least two of these, and oftentimes many 
 more, and spends every cent he has on aguardiente and nieseal. The 
 result is that he gets conspicuously drunk and stays so as loug as he 
 can. Such a thing as a nioco having money ahead is unknown. On the 
 contrary, he is usually in debt. The planters, therefore, when thev hire 
 them, purchase this debt, which sometimes runs as high as two hundred 
 dollars, and also promise the man a certain advance to he spent at the 
 next fiesta. The average wage is from sixty-two and one-half cents 
 a day up to about seventy-five cents a day, and found. This, as a rule, 
 includes three drinks of aguardiente a day. Some of the planters have 
 secured negroes direct from the United States, and from Jamaica. 
 These get about seventy-five cents a day, and found, except when rail- 
 road contractors tempt them ofY by offering them from two dollars 
 to five dollars a da>'. But to return to La Junta. 
 
 We rode for a long distance through the rubber, and finally, ascend- 
 ing a steep hill, found ourselves in the main street of the plantation 
 village. Here was concentrated the life of the place, and the scene 
 certainly was a busy one. Of the thirty or more native houses of 
 bamboo and palm thatched, several were rapidly being turned into frame 
 dwellings with tiled roofs, and built to stay. Beyond these was the 
 long, one story house of the general manager and his baker's dozen of 
 active voung American assistants. Then came the store, stocked with as 
 
isrnMrs ur TJ:iir.i\ri-:rj:C 
 
 127 
 
 large a varictv of g-oods as any village enii)nrium cnild Ixjast, and then 
 a two-storv building, the lower part of which was the general dining 
 hall, and the upper, the office of general manager and held superinten- 
 dent. L)n the opposite side of the street was the carpenter's and hlack- 
 smith's shop, the stables, etc. 
 
 The active head of affairs, Mr. George Mann, caught sight of us 
 alnidst as soon as we arrived, and not only bade us to supper, but insisted 
 that we stay over night. This we decided to do, rather than t<^ ride the 
 trail after nightfall. He then introduced us to his staff', or such of 
 them as were not al)sent, and Messrs. Kramer, Hill, Zimmerman, Shu- 
 feldt, Sleister, and Dr. l'".rwin. all }oung, active, and friendly, together 
 with their capable chief, will long linger in my memory as types of 
 
 RUBIO. — BRICK AND TILE FACTORY. 
 
 Americans that are so eff'ectually conquering the tropical wilderness. 
 Dr. Erwin bv the wa\-, is physician and surgeon for the plantation, and 
 Air. Shufeldt is the son of Commodore Shufeldt of the United States 
 Xavv, who surveyed the route for the Tehuantepec ship canal for the 
 United States government, some years ago. Mr. Sleister I had already 
 met, as he was on the train that bore me to Achotal. I did not see 
 much of him, however, as he had a carload of Tennessee negroes in 
 charge to deliver to La Junta ; and as one or two of them were "bad 
 coons," and as licjuor was abundant at every stopping place, his hands 
 were full most of the time. By the exercise of much patience and tact, 
 and bv wearing a huge Alauser revolver while in their company, he 
 finalh- cjot them all safelv there. 
 
128 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 There was still enough of daylight to have a look around, so we 
 visited the various shops, the sawmill, brickyard and waterworks; 
 inspected the native quarters, and got back just as supper was 
 announced. We spent the evening- in the assembly room of the 
 officers, smoking big, black Mexican cigars that have no harmful 
 effect in that climate, but would be deadly in the north, and listening 
 to home music from a well equipped phonograph. 
 
 We retired about eleven, and had hardly gotten a good grip on our 
 beauty sleep when a stir outside showed that something was doing. 
 Not to miss anything, I went out upon the broad verandah, and found 
 the young men saddling their horses, and equipping themselves for 
 a moonlight ride. Seeing me expectant, they informed me that nine 
 of the Tennessee negroes had skipped, doubtless to join some railroad 
 gang, and for a short time get higher wages. As the company had 
 paid their fare from the States to the plantation, and as the moral 
 effect on the others would be bad if they were not brought back, it 
 behooved those in charge to stop the runaways before they reached 
 the railroad. And they certainly went about the matter as if they 
 meant business. It was a thrilling sight to see them assembling, and 
 I forgot that I was pajama clad and barefooted, and stood in the 
 moonlight watching until they finally cantered off down through the 
 valley and over the hills, and were lost to sight in the black wall of 
 forest, into which the road ran. To finish this incident, I mav add 
 that they overtook all of the runaways, and brought them back, and 
 they went to work again just as if nothing had happened. 
 
 The next morning after inspecting the rubber, and getting samples 
 of earth for analysis, we took the road home, where we arrived safe, 
 sound, and happy except for the vodadors and piuolcos. 
 
 Plant life in Mexico seems to be exceptionally free from pests of 
 all sorts. I did, in the course of my trip, see three caterpillar nests, but 
 not in the Ticmi Caliente. I looked and inquired particularly for any 
 enemy of the Cast ill oa. but found trace of none, and heard onlv of an 
 ant that attacks the tree where it has been wounded at times, but that 
 only rarely. Of the few trees thus attacked, nearly all had thrown out 
 woody excrescences that were not only protecting the inner tissues, 
 but seemed actually to be crowding the devourers out. So rare is it 
 that a tree is thus attacked that the planters take no precaution against 
 it. 
 
 Speaking of ants, these busy workers are in evidence nearly every- 
 where, and when the "marching ants" come in force, everything that 
 
IsrilMCS 01' TlillUANTEPEC 129 
 
 can gets out of the \vay. TIk- lioiischoldcTs welcome these visits, as 
 the ant army goes through c\rry crack and cranny in the house, killing 
 mice, spiders, and insects of all sorts; in fact, making a clean sweep. 
 When they call in the middle of the night, and announce their 
 arrival Ijy mounting one's bed, and by the most vicious of 
 bites, it is a l)it sudden, l)ut all one has to do is to get out of the way 
 until their work is done, when they dejxirt with the curious rustling 
 noise with which they came. Some of these armies march great dis- 
 tances, and have huge nests, as much as fifty feet in diameter. 
 
 The rubber tree is not singular in being free from pests — nearly 
 all others seem to be equally so. It was a rare thing to see a leaf or 
 a petal that had been blighted or eaten by any sort of insect. The reasons 
 for this remarkable immunity from the usual pests are not far to seek. 
 They will. I think, be found in the great abundance of birds, and no 
 doubt in the wonderful equilibrium that nature has there established 
 between the insects that are destructive to plant life, and the other insects 
 that prey upon them. It is to be hoped that this balance may long be 
 preserved. As a matter of caution, it might be well to state that the 
 hunter who slaughters birds for their plumage will not find a cordial 
 welcome among the Mexican planters. 
 
 In the drv season, which of course was when rnv visit was made, 
 there are but few butterflies and moths l)ut in the rainy season they are 
 most abundant. Of these mv host had a collection which gave me a 
 wonderful insisht into the winsfed beauties of that section. 
 
138 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 Clearing and Burning by Contract — Danger from Fires — Gathering Cas- 
 TiLLOA Seed — Testing Seed — Costly Seed Failures — Track Walking Under 
 Difficulties — The "Boston Rubber Tree" — Morning Glory Vines — Arrival at 
 Santa Lucretia — A Condensed Milk Lesson — Coatzacoalcos — Sleeping in the 
 "Bird Cage" — Up the Usapanapa and Chichigapa Rivers — Plantation 
 "RuBio" — A Fine "Bodega" — On Horseback Through Miles of Rubber — The 
 Tapping Problem. 
 
 THE planters in the Trinidad River district were so well informed, 
 and so ready to impart their knowledge to one interested, that 
 I felt as we journeyed back to La Buena Ventura that I was 
 getting a pretty good grasp on the rubber planting situation. I 
 had learned, too, specifically, what clearing, burning, planting, lining, 
 staking, and cleaning involved. Indeed, as luck would have it, I ran 
 across some of the men who take the contracts for cleaning, at various 
 times during my journey. In certain cases the planters clear their own 
 land. They prefer, however, to let it out by contract, as it does not cost 
 so much, and is one less burden for them to l>ear. In \'era Cruz, clear- 
 ing is usually done between the middle of Eebruary and the last of 
 April. The contractor brings a large force of men who fell evervthing, 
 the axemen handling the big trees, and the many machete men lopping 
 l)ranches, cutting vines, and arranging all for a good burn. If the work 
 is well done, and at the right time, the mass of fallen litter gets at least 
 a month of hot, dry weather, which dries out the fallen timber almost 
 beyond belief, and gives weeds and climbers no chance to spring up. 
 This part of the work is very important, because if a poor 1)urn takes 
 place, it involves the cutting and piling up of half burned tree trunks, 
 and a second burning, which is costly. It is figured that in this work 
 twenty-five men will clear about half an acre a dav. 
 
 During the burning the planters are always on the watch to keep 
 the fire from spreading, not only into the virgin forest, but into adjacent 
 plantings. The danger from fires carried by subterranean roots which 
 may smoulder for days, and then burst into flame, is no slight one. 
 Indeed, several cases have occurred where the fire has spread into cleared 
 land, and destro}-ed many hundreds of valuable rul)])er trees. To cite 
 one case in point, it might ])e well to recall the loss of the \'arnev Rubber 
 Co., who had a ])lantation on the Tehuantepec Railwav, and who lost 
 
/srnMCs or ri-nr.iXTurnc 
 
 KV 
 
 two hundred and tiftv acres of l\\()-yc'ar-( ild trees l)y tire in tlie dry 
 season, said to liave l)een started l)y s])arks from a locomotive. 
 
 After the l)um is tinislied, the ground is o])en and spongy, and in just 
 tlie right onchtion for the reception of seed. If this seed is put in so 
 as to catch the earlv rain, it gets a good start Ijefore tlie torrential rains 
 come, when the soil is pounded down hard. This is the reason that seed 
 ])lanting the second rear is not a])t to i)rosper. and why it is hetter then 
 to transplant from a well equip])ed nursery. The earliest bloom of the 
 Castilloa api)ears about the first of March, the seed ripening within 
 sixtv davs, and it is usually all gone thirty days later. The seeds are 
 
 BODEGA ON PLANTATION RUBIO. 
 
 gathered, as a general thing, as soon as ripe, and it is often a race 
 between the planters antl parrots to see which will get the most, as the 
 latter are very fond of them. The seed is secured l)y knocking the cones 
 otT the branches of the trees with long poles. These cones are put in 
 water, and allowed to stand over night, when the gluten surrounding the 
 seed slightly ferments. The mass is then placed in a sieve, and the pulp 
 is easily washed away. After a tinal washing, the floaters or unvitalized 
 seeds are skimmed off, and the residue are dried on mats in the shade. 
 As the vitahtv of the Castilloa seed is very slight, it is necessary to plant 
 
132 RUBBER PLAXTIXG ON THE 
 
 within a week or two at the longest. It might he well to note here that 
 Mr. Harvey kept some seeds alive by packing in charcoal, and that they 
 germinated when planted several months later, but no one but a trained 
 horticulturist would be likely to be successful with such an experiment. 
 With regard to the planting of the seed, it should be remembered that 
 the first rains are oftentimes followed by a week or two of dry weather. 
 It is therefore best to wait until at least four inches of rain have fallen, 
 that is. when planting in heavy soil, and to have a reserve of seed saved 
 for failures, either from drought, washouts, or lack of germination. 
 
 On one of the plantations I was shown the result of a very interest- 
 ing experiment, which was designed to show why, of two seeds, planted 
 near each other in apparently equally favorable positions, one produced 
 a vigorous tree, while the other produced a weakling. To determine 
 this, the planter selected three sizes of seeds and planted them under 
 equal conditions, supposing naturally that the largest seed would produce 
 the most vigorous plant. He learned, however, that size had nothing to 
 do with it, as in some cases the smallest seeds produced gave the best 
 result. The real difference seems to be. therefore, in the inherent vitality 
 of the seed itself. There are a great many ideas regarding the best way 
 of planting the Casfilloa, and there is no doubt Init that different methods 
 are adapted for difference of situations. I am firmly convinced, however, 
 that, in the region I visited, by far the best method of planting is at the 
 stake, backed up by a small nursery, in order that the failures mav be 
 made good. Anv one who has seen two-year-old seedlings as against 
 two-year-old nursery plants will. I think, agree with me. 
 
 Again and again was it impressed upon me how alert and careful 
 the planter must be in preparing his ground, and especially in getting 
 his seed at the right time, and getting it into the ground so that it shall 
 have the proper start. And their knowledge has come through acknc^wl- 
 edged failures. One good friend of mine bought a ton of seed at one 
 dollar a pound, and was unlucky enough to have it all spoil. Another 
 cleared hundreds of acres for which he failed to get anv seed, the clear- 
 ing having to lie over until the year following. And these are but two 
 of many instances which would discourage any but the most determined 
 men. But such happenings do n;)t reach the saiue man twice. 
 
 On our arrival at La Buena Ventura, mine host found a letter 
 from a large planter down near Coatzacoalcos, inviting him to visit his 
 place, and as that was just the direction in which 1 had planned to go, 
 I resolved to embrace the chance to go with the best of guides. It 
 therefore happened that early morning found us in the saddle, bound 
 
134 RUBBER PLAXTING OX THE 
 
 for Santa Rosa, but not over the trail by which I had come in. This 
 time it was over a clear path, through the planted rubber trees, dipping 
 down into the forest, and over a road with a soft carpet of matted leaves 
 two or three feet deep, and as springy as if made of rubber — a new trail, 
 and all on La PUiena Ventura land. On reaching the railroad, we sent 
 the horses back, and after waiting awhile, hoping for a train which 
 might or might not run that day, we started to walk towards Santa 
 Lucretia. where the new- road joins the National Tehuantepec Rail- 
 road. Walking a railroad track under any circumstances is hard work, 
 but that track was certainlv not made for tramps or actors. It had been 
 hastilv laid in the rainv season so as to make connection at Santa 
 Lucretia, and infrequent and slow though the trains were, it was already 
 a godsend to the planters and travelers. We knew, also, that as soon as 
 the dry season came it would be straightened, ballasted, and put in 
 shape. But its prospective virtues did not make the walking any easier. 
 It was not altogether because the sleepers were laid at uneven distances, 
 and often not spiked to the rails, or that the grass had grown up and 
 covered both with a slipperv tangle, nor was it the clayey mud that 
 often rose flush with the rail tops, Init it was the combination of all 
 these that tired us out ere we had gone very far. Still, we had no 
 thought of backing out, and so plodded steadily on, our packs on our 
 shoulders, our feet clogged with mud, and wondering if luck would 
 send the construction train to our assistance. But the trip was not 
 without its compensations. The day was gorgeous, and my companion, 
 botanist and enthusiast as he is, talked of the trees and plants in a way 
 that would make one forget any sort of hardship. 
 
 Speaking of the forest, one of the most conspicuous trees is a sort 
 ■ )f a banyan, which has all the idiosyncrasies of that tree of many 
 trunks, and grows to a great size. It is a species of Ficiis which has 
 not as yet been identified, but is probably the Ficiis Bcnjaiiiiiia. ( )n 
 tapping it gives a certain amount of latex, but of a very sticky nature, 
 and i)robablv of no value. There are also a great many mahogany 
 trees, but in the former lumbering operations the larger of them have 
 been cut out, and while there are many of them that would square ])er- 
 hajjs twelve or fourteen inches, there are not so many which woulil go 
 up to eighteen inches, the old time test. However, mahogany is so plen- 
 tiful that manv of the bridges across the streams on the forest trails 
 are made of squared mahogany logs, one or two of them laid side liy 
 side, and mahogan\- furniture is ver\' common in the ])l'inters" home 
 furnishings. There is considerable //V/////// ritcc, and on tlie track we 
 
/S'll/MlS ()/■' I lUirAXTIil'llC 
 
 '35 
 
 were then walking it was often used for ties. Spanish ccchir is 
 also quite abundant, and is one of the vahiable woods. 
 
 In rco-ard to trees the old resident, and soinelinies die semi-old 
 one, is very apt to ])oint out the rubber tree in its natural state as v(hi 
 ride with him throui^h the forest, and if he knows anvthinir alxnit 
 rubber, he ne\er makes any mistake. If he doesn't, he is verv apt to 
 ])oint out a tree whieh the planters call the "lloston rubber tree,"" and 
 which the natives call the ■"chankarro."" It reallv looks like the Casfilloa, 
 but is apt to prove a sur])rise to those who try to tap it. The trunk is 
 (Mdy a hollow shell, and the interior is invariablv hlled with what are 
 known as the tire ants, of whose presence the tapper is instanth- ajjprised 
 when his iiiaclictc cuts through the thin film of bark. 
 
 
 
 
 Z^^.-'-.- 
 
 
 .a: ■ 
 
 V V y 
 
 PIECE OF ROAD ON PLANTATION RULIO. 
 
 There are. also, many beautiful trees, such as the "royal"" and other 
 palms, and an infinite variety of vines and climbers. Perhaps the most 
 abundant vine down in that part of the countrv is the morning- glor\-, 
 which is not an annual as it is with us, Imt it is a perennial and swarms 
 up over the tree trunks, covering acres of forest with its dense foliage, 
 and its beautiful bloom. To those who insist that the trunk of a rubber 
 tree should not be exposed to the sun, I would suggest that thev allow 
 the morning glory vines to cover it, as they will shade it perfectly, and 
 do the tree no harm. At the same time, I am personally convinced that 
 the tree needs no such shading. 
 
 I must not forget one vine that we noted on our iournev. as it 
 
136 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 had a blossom that for size put in the shade anything that I had ever 
 seen. I do not recall the botanical name, but it is of the family that 
 produces what is known as the "Dutchman's pipe." We saw several 
 of them, and finally secured a blossom. In size it was as large as an 
 old fashioned Shaker bonnet, and must have weighed a pound and a 
 half. It was not pretty, except in a bizarre tropical sense, but was 
 simply a type of what the richest of soil, plenty of moisture, and con- 
 stant warmth can produce. 
 
 There seem to be few poisonous plants ; the most common is a lux- 
 uriant shrub with a crown of handsome white flowers, which acts like a 
 gigantic nettle, instantly paralyzing the hand that grasps it. This is 
 very plentiful, and its Spanish name means "the evil woman plant." 
 
 None of the forest through which we passed would be called prime- 
 val as there were no trees that were over one hundred and fifty years 
 old. Just why this is so, none can tell, but that the land was once 
 densely inhabited is proved by bits of pottery, arrow heads, etc., that are 
 to be found on every plantation, and in the railroad cuttings in great 
 abundance. And that reminds me that at La Junta Mr. Shufeldt gave 
 me a hideously interesting little clay idol which he found in a vegetable 
 garden there. I unwittinglv left it on the table in my room at La 
 Buena \'entura, and I wish to warn the genial householder that T am 
 coming down soon purposely to recover it. 
 
 Meanwhile, hot, perspiring but cheerful, we were plodding on 
 towards the Tehuantepec Railway that was miles and miles in the dis- 
 tance. Finally, however, we reached Sanborn, soon to be a metropolis ; but 
 when w-e arrived it was simply a camp wdiere men were grading, felling 
 the forest, and getting ready to put up a modern railway station, which 
 is to have a telegraph and telephone office, and all sorts of modern 
 conveniences. This place, bv the way, is about eight miles from La 
 Junta, and will be its railway station. It is named after one of the 
 prominent officials, who, besides his interest in rubber planting, has 
 purchased a big block of land, and is going into lum])cring, brick making, 
 and a variety of industries that will be of marked benefit to that section. 
 At Sanborn we struck good luck, for we had not l)een there five minutes 
 when a locomotive whistled, and soon the construction train crawled 
 into sight. We boarded the flat car in front to keep from lieing set 
 afire by sparks from the wood burning engine, and we continued our 
 journey. 
 
 Arriving at Santa Lucretia in due time, we (lisem])arked and 
 wendecl our wav to the town ])ro|)er which consists of a hotel on stilts. 
 
/.V7//.1/(\V 01' riillUANTEPEC 
 
 137 
 
 a railway station, and a tVw native huts as a backgruund. With a rail- 
 way camp close by, and witb tbc many Americans constantly goin,s^ and 
 coming-, the town really ])resented a bnsy scene. The hotel is run by 
 Major Elliott, a ])owerful man with a military bearing, very friendlv to 
 those who behave, but a tritle stern with the semi-worthless natives that 
 are ever to be found at a railroad end. We Jiad an excellent diimer. 
 
 WILD RUBBER TREE 
 
 /ACOALCOS RIVER. 
 
 partly of native food, and partly canned goods from the States. Speak- 
 ing of the latter, American manufacturers do not seem to realize that 
 one of the best supply markets in the world is to be found among the 
 planters and small hotel men in the tropics. Some do, of course, and 
 some of the great merchants and mail order houses are cultivatino- the 
 
I30 RUBBER PLAXTIXG OX THE 
 
 field most industriously and profitably, but most do not. A case in 
 point, of tbis lack of appreciation came to my attention during this 
 journey. A planter who is so thoroughly American that he would far 
 rather buy of his own countrymen than of any other, used a great deal 
 of condensed milk. That which he bought of English or Swiss make 
 was white and sweet, while the American brand that he wanted to buy 
 soon became in that hot, moist climate, of a chocolate brown color, and 
 quite offensive. In the goodness of his heart he wrote the manufac- 
 turers, telling them the whole story, and instead of being thanked, 
 received a most insulting letter from an officer of the company. He 
 wrote again, not in his former vein, but stating a few salient facts, and 
 ended by remarking that as the English had for one hundred and fifty 
 years been successfully supplying tropical markets, they would probably 
 keep on until Americans had the sense to study their methods. 
 
 Just before the train arrived, our party was reinforced by the 
 arrival of Mr. R. (). Price, the general manager of Solo Suchil, who 
 had been apprised to be on the lookout for us, and who told us that 
 a steam launch would be waiting for us at the end of the railway journey, 
 to take us up the Coatzacoalos River to Minatitlan, and later to the 
 plantations on that and tributary streams. At length our train came, 
 and we were on our way. The much vaunted National Tehauntepec 
 road is no doul^t an engineering triumph, but what with earthquakes, 
 morasses, and streams that are one day rivulets and the next raging 
 torrents, it is not vet equal in equipment or service to a one horse road 
 in the Far West. The trains run every other day. and get in on time 
 very rarely. 
 
 We finally arrived at Coatzacoalcos, the Atlantic terminus, two 
 hours late, and there were welcomed by Mr. A. B. Luther, the gcranfc 
 general of Plantacion Ruliio. Here two more Americans joined the 
 partv, and boarding the steam launch, we steamed up to Minatitlan, a 
 f|uaint old Mexican town where we were to spend the night. Beds had 
 been l)espoken in the little hotel familiarly known as the "1iird cage,'' 
 and we were soon sleeping the sleep of the just. 
 
 With the first break of day we were up. had our coffee, and started 
 out to see the place. As a matter of fact, there was not much to interest 
 one at that earlv hour. Most of the inhabitants were still wrapped in 
 the warm arms of the sleep god, whatever his Aztec name mav be, and 
 the chief signs of life were the dogs, chickens, and turkey liuzzards. the 
 latter the most independent and loathsome of all tlie feathered tribe. 
 There is a fine of f\h\ dollars for killing one, and the creature knowing 
 
isrnMi's or rinuwxTiu'nc 
 
 139 
 
 this pursues its scavenginp^ operations with a rufifianly impudence that 
 is (iisi^usting. It is said that eA'ery conimunit}- in those ])arts has one 
 huzzard for every inhal)itant. According- to that. .Minatillan has Ujts 
 of folks that do not appear in puhhc. for seated on fences, on roofs, 
 swooping- (Unvn to rol) the dogs, fighting, flapping, and squawking, the 
 l)uzzartls were legion. 
 
 A little later we all assemhled at the boat landing, climbed over a 
 lot of Indian dugouts, and were prepared for the trip up river. ( )ur 
 journey that dav was to be up the Coatzacoalcos, the Usapanapa, and 
 Chi.^higapa Rivers, some twenty miles, to visit plantation Rubio. We 
 
 THATCHED VILLAGE ON THE UBERO PLANTATION. 
 
 had elected to talk a lot about rul)ber planting, but the strange sights, 
 the wonderful scenery, and the glory of the day drove all thought of 
 "shop"' out of our minds. Bv tangled forests, great, grassy plains. 
 Indian villages, and bamboo thickets, we went, disturbing sullen alli- 
 gators, and great milk white cranes, and being hailed in unknown tongues 
 bv the naked children on the river banks. 
 
 When the noveltv of the scene had in a measure worn oft'. I availed 
 myself of m\' privilege of asking questions, selecting the general man- 
 ager of the Solo Suchil as \\\\ first victim. He responded most cor- 
 
140 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 dially, and I soon learned that his plantation was an amalgamation of 
 three estates ; that it was named after the river on which it was situ- 
 ated, and grew both coffee and rubber, the latter being used for shade. 
 He had planted both from seed and from nursery stock but favored 
 the former when practicable. His trees were from one to five years old, 
 and there were about four hundred thousand of them. He, like all 
 others, was of the opinion that it was fatal to allow the grass to get 
 a foothold among the rubl)er trees. For this reason, when the rubber 
 was planted alone, it was put in from seven to nine feet apart, and as 
 a further precaution he was planting betweeen the rows a kind of sweet 
 potato known as the "camate,'* which covered the ground with a dense 
 mat of vines among which the grass would not grow.. This brought 
 out the store of practical botanical knowledge of my friend, Harvey, who 
 recommended the cow pea and the velvet bean for just this purpose, an 
 opinion that I found shared by the others, notably Dr. W. S. Cockrell, 
 another pioneer planter. 
 
 After a two hours' ride we turned into Chichigapa Creek, a deep, 
 silent waterwav about two hundred feet wide, and ere long we were 
 tied up at the wharf that is part of the Rubio estate. As the banks 
 are low, a substantial platform some six hundred feet long leads back 
 to the bodega, or storehouse. This is a two-story building of brick with 
 tiled roof on one side and glass roof on the other, and is something 
 that every planter should have. It is, in fact, a dry house for corn and 
 beans, and is fitted with air tight bins for the storage of these cereals, 
 an effective protection against the omnipresent weevil and equally 
 troublesome mold. 
 
 The building that challenged our admiration for its beauty, how- 
 ever, and later for its manifest utility, was the two-story dormitory that 
 situated on an eminence further back, looked like a planter's mansion. 
 On close inspection it was found to contain a dining room and kitchen, 
 and sixteen sleeping rooms, all of which opened out on to a broad 
 verandah, which was wholly enclosed in wire netting. The partitions 
 between the rooms were made of burlap, painted over to give it a finish, 
 a very practical and economical plan in a country where matched boards 
 bring a high premium. 
 
 To view the plantation proper, it was necessary to have recourse 
 to the horse, and after lunch fpiite a party of us started through the 
 typical forest trail towards the cleared and planted land at the further 
 side of the estate. At length we emerged into the open and found our- 
 selves on a ridge from which we had a view of hundreds of acres of 
 
isrnMCs or Tinir.ixTHPEC 
 
 ■41 
 
 rich, roUino- land, all covered with L'listilloa trees ahuut a year old. W'e 
 rode over this whole plantiiiL;, visited the four canii)s where the native 
 workmen live in palm thatched houses, and examined the rubber trees on 
 the hilltops, on side hills, and in the valleys, and when we were told 
 that the stand of rubber embraced fifteen hundred acres, all cleared, 
 burned, and planted in one short season, and that there were fully two 
 million healthy trees, we fell to congratulating Manager Luther on the 
 accomplishment of so marvelous a task. It took so long to do the wdiole 
 of the sightseeing that it was dark when we entered the forest again for 
 our two or three-mile return ride. ( )ur horses knew the way, however, 
 and brought us safely through, and an hour later we were on the launch, 
 steaming l)ack to Minatitlan. The voyage was without special incident, 
 unless one were to cite the clouds of white moths that filled the air until 
 
 .STEAMER "HOS KIOS ON XliE L\l.\ fZACOALCG--^. 
 
 it looked as if it were snowing, and which finally drove us to cover in 
 the cabin. 
 
 The next day we took in a plantation far up the Coachapa River, 
 owned bv a wealthy native, Sehor Sanchez. His interests were chiefly 
 in cattle, although he had a little grove of wild seedling Casfilloas about 
 ten years old, which were from sixteen to eighteen inches in diameter, and 
 perhaps thirtv feet high. These we tapped in all sorts of ways, got an 
 abundance of milk, and incidentally proved that neither native nor white 
 man can tap a tree successfully without much practice and skill. 
 
 Indeed, the next great problem that is to confront the rubber 
 planters is that of tapping and preparing for market. One has only 
 to look at the wdld trees in the forest and see how thev have been hacked 
 
142 
 
 RUBBER PLAXTING ON THE 
 
 and scarred by the natives, to appreciate the fact that the planters will 
 need better work and greater care of their trees. If all of the natives 
 were expert machete men, and good climbers, the problem would be easily 
 solved, but the real good men in this line are scarce. It is a most inter- 
 esting sight to see a skillful tapper, armed only with a rope and 
 machete, cut the channels so that the sap runs from one to another with 
 scarcely a drop spilled, every stroke of the uiaclietc l)eing just right. It 
 is also equally disgusting to see a native who claims he knows how to 
 tap mangle the bark, and able to climb only a foot or two without sli])ping 
 down. The practical solution is going to involve two things : one is. 
 the invention of a simple tool that is foolproof, and that cannot in any 
 way injure the tree, and the second is a light, safe ladder that will allow 
 
 THE TEHUANTEPEC MARKET. 
 
 the ino:zo to reach the upper part of the trunk. Most of the planters plan 
 to bleed the trees twice a year, in May and October. Some, however, 
 hold that they can stand tapping much oftener, and most interesting- 
 experiments are being inaugurated in the exploitation of this theory. 
 
 The latex flows apparently as freely at one time of the year as it 
 does another, but the dry season is undoubtedly the best for tapping, as 
 there is no rain to wash away the milk, and the tree is resting then. If 
 the cutting is done well, the scars soon fill in with new, smooth bark, 
 which in no wav interferes with later working. The natural way, 
 however, will be to drain one side of the tree at one time, and another 
 at a subsequent ta])])ing. The planters are ailready ])lanning as to the 
 
/SI 1/ MI'S OI' llilli'ANTEPEC 143 
 
 arraiii^ciiK'nts (if .^ani^s of men. and Ihe ])ay fur tapping ami ooagulating. 
 The favorite nictlKMl undouljtedly will be to j^ivc each native a certain 
 stint, measured by the amount of latex that he l)rin<4s in. I got a number 
 of estimates as to the cost of tapping- and coagulating, based on actual 
 work, and in no case was it more than ten cents a pound, Mexican. 
 
 Another thing that the planters plan to do is to produce clean, dry 
 rubber, and there is no reason why they should not accomplish it. Of 
 the various means of coagulating that are devised by experts, the one that 
 seems to appeal the most strongly to the practical planter on the Isthmus, 
 is the use of the juice of the "amole"' vine, the Iponioca Bona nox, which 
 is most abundant everywhere, and which apparently adds nothing to the 
 rul)ber, and effects a (|uick and clean coagulation. 
 
 After cofifee at the Sanchez abode, we returned to Minatitlan, retired 
 early and at three o'clock the next morning were awakened by Mr. 
 Luther, escorted to the launch, liidden a hearty good-bye and were on 
 our way to Coatzacoalcos, to take the morning train for Tehuantepec. 
 We had planned to take a river steamer, the Dus Rios, and visit the 
 ]ilantations far up the river, of which there are a lot, but a snag having 
 punched a hole in the boafs bottom, it w-as forced to tie up for repairs, 
 thus disarranging our plans. We therefore decided to go at once to the 
 Pacific side, and "dry out" and rest, and so it happened that at nine 
 in the morning we were again on the train, this time bound west. 
 
144 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 FOURTH LETTER. 
 
 Across the Isthmus — Plantation "San Francisco" — View of the "Ubero" 
 AND "La Crosse" Plantations — The Great Tehuantepec Plain — At the El 
 Globo — Attacked bv a Vampire — The Zapotaco Women — Decs and Fleas — 
 Salina Cruz — Back to Santa Lucretia — Mexican Justice — Sleeping Under 
 Difficulties — A Night at a Railroad Camp — A Tapir Hunt — The Persistent 
 "Pinoleo" — Achotal Again — Journeying North — Cattle Ranching — Taxes — 
 Cordoba and Orizaba — Mexico City — A Look Backward — The Cow Pea and 
 Velvet Bean. 
 
 THE last letter of this series left us just boarding the train at Coat- 
 zacoalos for the journey across the Isthmus to the City of Tehuan- 
 tepec. The journey did not take the whole of the month that 
 has intervened, but it took long enough in all conscience, vet it was not 
 without interest. Almost at once I struck up an acquaintance with a 
 German, named De Verts, who, I soon learned, owned the plantation 
 San Francisco up in the Dos Rios region. His plantings were of 
 coffee and CastiUoa, and of the latter he had some sixty thousand trees 
 two and one-half years old. These were planted seven and one-half 
 feet apart one way, and fifteen feet apart the other, with coffee between. 
 His trees averaged about eight inches in diameter. From his descrip- 
 tion the stand appeared to be an excellent one. 
 
 After his departure a friend promised to point out to me a man, 
 who more than any other down that way, was making "easv mone\ " — 
 none other than a traveling dentist who finds his patients only among 
 the natives. He goes from village to village doing a rushing business 
 at great profit. It is said that many who have no trouble at all with 
 their teeth have them filled in order to show the gold, and that they 
 never weary of grinning, with that end in view. I did not see the 
 dentist, for at this juncture we stopped at a station, where on a siding 
 was a private car, on the platform of which stood Sir S. Weetman Pear- 
 son, the famous English constructor of tropical railroads. We all wanted 
 a sight of him, and were rewarded by a l^rief view of a thick set, deter- 
 mined looking Britisher, who had an air of meaning business all the 
 time.. He was said to be discharging men right and left, and generally 
 upsetting the policy of procrastination and inefiiciencv that had been 
 more or less characteristic of the management in the jiast. 
 
 The National Tehuantepec Railroad is without doul)t of great 
 
146 Ri'BBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 present and prospective value, both to the planters and to the owners. 
 Its trains, which run every other day, are always well patronized, and 
 it is wonderful how those children of nature, the Indians, enjoy crowd- 
 ing into the third class cars, and riding even a few miles. Alanv of the 
 poorer ones save money for months, ride fifty or a hundred miles, and 
 contentedly walk back. To them the trains are "flyers," and the cars 
 palatial, but to the white man the many delays, particularly at stations, 
 are very irritating. A resident of the country accounted for the long 
 waits by stating that an engineer is paid two dollars an hour, and there- 
 fore the longer the run. the more he gets. He further intimated that 
 if the train got on too fast, steam was allowed to get low, or some of 
 the machinery suddenly needed repairs, for which a stop was necessary 
 — but the narrator may have been yarning. 
 
 Shortly after noon we passed the handsome plantation house of 
 the Boston Ubero Company, and had a good view of the many acres 
 of pineapples that they have under cultivation. We also had a good 
 view of the land of the Isthmus Rubber Co., a little later, and still 
 further on was the La Crosse Plantation Company, which showed manv 
 acres planted to sugar cane, and consideral)le rul^ber. 
 
 Earl}- in the afternoon we passed over the low mountainous ridge 
 that separates the Atlantic side from the Pacific, and left behind the 
 hot, moist atmosphere that had become somewhat trying, and were in 
 a climate bone dry, and seemingly much cooler. We then had a fine 
 view of Rincon Antonio, the new railroad town that is rapidly assuming- 
 shape, and that will give to the workers in the shops a fine, healthy 
 climate instead of a fever ridden one. 
 
 Continuing our journey, we next came to the valley of the San 
 Geronimo, healthy, cool, free from epidemics, and a little later to the 
 vast Tehauntepec plain. Here are more than a million acres of rich 
 land as level as a billiard table, covered with a sparse growth of chap- 
 parel, and awaiting only irrigation to turn it into a paradise. Nor is 
 the water far ofl:', for the n-iountains, which are in plain sight froni the 
 train, furnish abundant sui)pl\-, and every opportunity for huge reser- 
 voirs. 
 
 After a stop of twenty minutes at a small station to watch a man 
 who was chopping wood — at least that was the only a])parent reason — 
 we reached our journey's end, arriving at the city of Tehauntepec two 
 hours late, ^^'e had elected to stop at the El Globo Hotel while in the city, 
 and in that made no mistake, inv it is the best there. From the \)Vo- 
 prietnr's own advertisement I have it that ther? are "R )oms fa';in<_;ton 
 
isrnMCs or riunMxri-rnc 
 
 U7 
 
 two different street. Coinodios and well ventiloted." Moreover, with the 
 true, up-to-date hotel spirit, he has the followin.o- card in each room : 
 "Tlif i)n.i)riotors of this hotel :irc only rcsponsable of lost of valu- 
 able objects or money when delivered to themselves by passengers." 
 He handled the i'jiolish lans^uaiie well, and knew il. and had a pro- 
 found pity for a ])hysician nearhy who put out the sign "Englische 
 Espoken." 1diis hotel luan was well worth the journey to Mexico to 
 meet. He is hv hirth a Frenchman, who came over with Maximilian. 
 
 DEL CORTE. — LABORERS CAMP AXU CLKAKlNt 
 
 and after that unfortunate ruler lost his head, elected never to return. 
 He is verv short, alert, and the picture of vigorous old age. Occasionally 
 he gets a bit overstimulated, and then puts on an immense pair of 
 cavalry boots, and strides about the place, giving orders in a thunderous 
 voice, and entertaining his guests with reminiscences of European wars, 
 that are full of thrill,, dash, imagination, and doubtless some facts. 
 
 The hotel was a large, rambling, one-story affair, with tiled floors and 
 small, cell like rooms opening out on an inner court that contained both 
 dining room and kitchen. The bed rooms contained two folding canvas 
 cots, each of which had one sheet, one red blanket, and one little striped 
 pillow that was as hard as if stuft'ed with shot. There were also two 
 chairs, a table, and a wash bowl and pitcher of agate ware. The one 
 
148 RUBBER PLAXTING ON THE 
 
 window opened to the floor, and to keep thieves out and guests in, 
 was latticed with half-inch iron bars. It was luxury, however, when 
 compared with the native huts, and we rested well, and had no advent- 
 ures. To be sure, I did have a queer experience the first night when 
 I lay down for awhile with one hand hanging down l)y the side of 
 the bed, and on drawing it up something dropped off with a soft thud 
 that had me wide awake in an instant. A light and a search revealed 
 nothing, and I came to the conclusion that it was one of the small vam- 
 pire bats that are common in Mexico, and that alight so gently on man 
 or animal that even if wide awake they do not know it. So common 
 are they, and so troublesome, that horses and mules are invariably kept 
 under cover after dark, as these little blood-seekers rarely venture into 
 houses. 
 
 The next morning it was quite cool, as a norther was blowing, 
 and the thermometer registered only ninetv-five. On arising, we took 
 our clothes in our arms, and clad onlv in pajamas, walked down the 
 sandy street two blocks to the baths, where we luxuriated for an hour 
 or more. After coffee, we visited the market, and saw the far famed 
 Tehuantepec women in their verv striking headdress, of which so much 
 is said ; but aside from its becoming effect, no one seems to know much 
 about it. I personally was interested to see how it was made, and so 
 walked behind some of the dusky beauties as they marched off", and took 
 a good, long look. The headdress is simply a white dress with a wide 
 flounce around the bottom. This flounce is starched stiff and put upon 
 the head so that it stands up like a huge ruffle. The rest of the gar- 
 ment, sleeves and all, hang down the back. I almost wish, however, 
 that I did not know this, as the effect is not half as artistic since my 
 eyes were opened. 
 
 There was really little of sightseeing in Tehuantepec ; the market, 
 the pueblo across the river, the ruins left by the earthquake four years 
 before, were about all. Perhaps it was the climate, but it was more 
 fun to sit on the brick sidewalk in front of the hotel and watch passers- 
 by, dog fights, and predatory pigs than to chase around after information. 
 Anyhow, there was no rubber grown there, and rubber was my errand to 
 the Isthnnis. Speaking of dogs, every Mexican and In<lian in the hot 
 country is a dog owner on a generous scale. Nor does he care what 
 the breed, or the size, so long as the dog has four legs and a l^ark. 
 Thev are, as a rule, a mangy lot, exceedingly lean, and many of them 
 are really half coyote. All are plentifully supplied with fleas, which 
 thev generouslv divide with all with whom thev come in contact. 
 

 ■ ■TfiF^ 
 
 
I50 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 We left Tehuantepec on the morning when the first case of smaUpox 
 was reported, not for that reason, but because our visit was ended. It 
 is a curious coincidence, but our departure from Coatzacoalcos was 
 marked by the reporting of their first fatal case of yellow fever. 
 
 In spite of the fact that the clock at the El Globo had stopped, that 
 the town clock in the plaza was slow, and that no one knew within half 
 an hour just what time the morning train left, we succeeded in catching 
 it, and arrived in Santa Lucretia in time for the midday meal. Major 
 Elliott, whom we met on the way down, gave us a hearty greeting, but 
 could give no information regarding the construction train to take us 
 back to Santa Rosa. There were, he said, rumors of an accident, and no 
 train had been through for two days. Some said it would be a week 
 before thev would be running again. As it had set in to rain hard, we 
 possessed our souls in patience, and prepared to spend the rest of the 
 day and the night with the Major. He readily made room for us, 
 although the house was full, and then proceeded to give us an idea of 
 Mexican justice. It seems that an Italian workman, on a prolonged 
 drunk, had for some days been terrorizing Santa Lucretia. After he 
 had chased natives to his heart's content, he fell into the habit of bom- 
 barding the Major's hotel with stones, and casting lurid reflections 
 upon the character of all its inmates, from the proprietor down. These 
 attacks were passed over with silent contempt, until one of the stones 
 hit the Major's son, who lost his patience, and with promptness and 
 despatch thrashed the aggressor. Unfortunately in the doing of this 
 he made the man's nose bleed, whereupon he was promptly hustled ofif 
 to jail in a neighboring town, and it was only after three days of diplo- 
 matic and financial effort that he was released. The Italian was not 
 arrested. 
 
 The Mexican laws, as will be seen from the foregoing, are radically 
 different from those that are so often broken in "The land of the free 
 and the home of the brave," l)ut they are well fitted to the natives of 
 that country, and act as a restraint to visitors, particularly those who 
 feel superior to the dark skinned owners of the country. Eor example, 
 if a foreigner gets in trouble with a native, even if the latter attack 
 him first, he is apt to be treated very much as if he were the aggressor. 
 1 know of one case, and heard of several others, where Americans were 
 attacked bv drunken or angry mozos armed with machetes, and who to 
 save their lives, shot their assailants and were (|uickly arrested, and in 
 spite of the fact that they ])rove(l that they acted only in self defense, 
 remained in durance from six months to a vear there before being 
 
ISTHMUS OP TEHUANTEPEC 
 
 i=;i 
 
 released. This, of euurse, is not rij^lit, and yet, for tlie vis^fjrous — man} 
 times lawless — irresponsibles that crowd into a country that is just 
 awakening-, as Mexico is, some such law is an absolute necessity, or the 
 anemic population would be crowded to the wall, or wiped out. There 
 are nian\- provoking- thing's aboiu tin- .Mexican laws; for example, if a 
 lum])er team should run over and kill a native, the authorities in their 
 anxiet\ f(^r witnesses, and to place the responsibility, are apt to arrest 
 not onl\ the drivers of the team, but all the rest of the gang, and for a 
 time look with suspicion on everyl)od\- comiected with the luml)er busi- 
 ness. 
 
 The afternoon wore slowl\- away, and it rained harder everv minute. 
 At last came supper and then lied. Here, as elsewhere, folding canvas 
 
 DEL CORTZ. — RO.\D THROUGH RUBBER. 
 
 cots were the only beds used, and while they are superior to an earthern 
 floor, they do give one a crick in the back. Still we were thankful for 
 our many mercies, and settled down to sleep. ( )ne bv one the dim oil 
 lamps were extinguished, and all was quiet except the monologue indulged 
 in by one guest who was somewhat inebriated. The Major reasoned 
 with him, begging him to go to sleep, which at last he did ; but the 
 relief was only temporary, as he soon l^egan again, talking in his sleej:). 
 Just as. used to this, we were dozing, a sudden crash shook the house — 
 a guest had fallen (lut of bed. The Major told him what he thought of 
 such carelessness, and what he would do if it happened again, and once 
 more quiet reigned. For a short time only, all was still, and then 
 
152 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 clump, clump, clump, along the passage between the cots came a heavy 
 tread. Peeping out from between the mosquito bars, I saw a man clad 
 only in heavy boots, tramping up and down the room. The Major 
 discovered him at the same time, and wrathfullv inquired what he was 
 aljout. "Just taking exercise,"" was the reply. Then really tlie Major 
 let himself out. It was truly a rhetorical masterpiece that he delivered 
 himself of, and the offender at last reluctantly agreed to i)ut off his 
 constitutional until the morrow, and went back to bed. 
 
 It was still raining when we awoke, and we sat around all the 
 forenoon waiting for the train, or for better weather. It was then that, 
 looking at the passing uwzos. I had a chance to see the native raincoats 
 of cane and cocoa fiber that are the only mackintoshes the Indians use. 
 They look far better and cleaner in a photograph than otherwise, and 
 rubber manufacturers in the States need not fear that rubber markets 
 will ever seriously seek them. 
 
 At two o'clock that afternoon, as it was raining only a httle, we 
 loaded our belongings on a mozo, and started to walk the track to the 
 railroad camp, twelve kilometers away. We got there finally, boots covered 
 with mud, damp, perspiring, and wearv, and were welcomed to the 
 engineer's quarters that consisted of five box cars fitted up as dwellings, 
 full of material comforts, and inhabited by several young and friendly 
 Americans. 
 
 The head of this engineering household was Mr. F. M. Ames, 
 chief engineer of the Vera Cruz and Pacific Railway, who has for 
 seventeen years been at work railroad building, all the time in the 
 tropics. Indeed, he headed the corps that surveyed the National Tehuan- 
 tepec road, cutting his way through the densest sort of jungle, and 
 establishing camps where now are thriving settlements. Mr. Ames 
 knew the country, the people, and the animals, and we were soon 
 launched into talk about the wild dwellers of the forest. ( )f the cat 
 tribe, there are quite a number of large and active specimens. The 
 leader of all these is the ounce, or as the natives call it, the tigrc. and 
 next to him come a great variety of spotted cats, diminutive specimens 
 of the jaguar tribe. They never attack man, and when hunted invariably 
 take to a tree, although befcire doing so they often stop and finish a 
 dog or two, which they are fully capable of doing. They are more or 
 less of a nuisance about ]ilantations as they have a great fondness for 
 turkeys and chickens. 
 
 Man}- of the smaller mammals of the temperate zone are also very 
 common, such as foxes, rabbits, skunks, squirrels, black and brown, and 
 
/.V77/.l/r.V or Tlilll'AXTEPllC 
 
 153 
 
 nionkcNs. Tliis latter animal. I rciirct to saw was conspicuously niissmj^ 
 at the time ot' nu- visit, the storv heiiii; that a _\ear or two before 
 thev had taken yellow fever, and nearly all of them died. 
 
 It was during- this most interestiui;- chat that su|)])er was announced, 
 and we were soon luxuriating- on ham and e^^s. hot biscuits, and tine 
 cofifee that the Chinese cook knew how to prepare t(j perfection. I could 
 not help remarkino- tliat the Chinaman was already considerably in evi- 
 dence as a cook in the cities, at railway camps, and on plantations. 
 Indeed, there are many who l)elieve that the labor ])r.)blem for the planter 
 will be solved by the importation of a stif^cient number of them. It is 
 the o^eneral judgment, liowever. that while they may be taught to clean 
 the rubber from weeds and vines, and to do a certain amount of culti- 
 
 TREES ON FILISOE.X. 
 
 [Photo Copyright by C. B. W'aite.] 
 
 vating, that they will not be of much use either in forest clearing, or in 
 tapping. In addition to this, the prices that the Chinese companies want 
 for securing coolies is at the present time much t(^o high to allow of their 
 profitable use. 
 
 Mr. Ames, his two assistants, Messrs. Jones and Hawkins, my com- 
 panion and I spent a very pleasant evening in what perhaps might be 
 called the ]iarlor car. and later adjourning to the sleeping car. forgot 
 everything earthlv until awakened in the early morning by the shrill whist- 
 ling of a locomotive. This was the signal for breakfast and an early start. 
 In due time we boarded a flat car in front of th.e engine, and were oti for 
 Santa Rosa. We sat in a row on the extreme front of the car. ready to 
 jump if it left the track. Along the route the worthy chief showed us 
 
154 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 where such sHght mishaps had occurred, explaining" that, until the 
 coming of the dry season, and it was possible to put in ballast, such a 
 condition of affairs had no remedy. 
 
 We reached Santa Rosa in due time, and as a souvenir of my visit, 
 Mr. Ames gave me a cedrilla nut, a native remedy for all kinds of snake 
 bites, as well as for coast fevers. I have since learned that the mahogany 
 cutters, and other foresters of the tropics, put great faith in it. and 
 rarely venture into the forest without it. 
 
 Leaving the railroad we struck into the new trail already men- 
 tioned, hid our luggage until a iiiozo could be sent for it, and started 
 to walk to La Buena Ventura. The rain had ceased, the sun was 
 shining brightly, and every bird in the forest was singing a song of 
 rejoicing. Not always in tune, however, for the genuine feathered 
 warbler of the hot country is not at all musical. The chachilatta thinks 
 it sings, but as a matter of fact it simply "chachilatters," and that word 
 just describes the sound. A sort of wdld hen is this bird, and one that 
 is in constant hysterics. 
 
 After a walk of about fifteen minutes, we emerged from the forest 
 and ascended to the higher ground where grows the rubber. To our 
 regret we arrived too late to join in a tapir hunt that took place in that 
 very orchard. The tapir is the largest wild animal in the Isthmus, and 
 although quite plentiful, is so shy that it is rarely seen. It is perfectly 
 harmless, and its flesh is esteemed a delicacy by the natives. One of 
 them bv some chance wandered into the rubber, and the son of my host 
 fired a charge of shot, knocking him over. He recovered in an instant, 
 and rushed away, taking another charge with him. 
 
 We did not tarrv to talk tapir, however, but hastened on. both of us 
 anxious to get our mail. As I had received no letters since leaving the 
 City of Mexico, that longing had a reasonable basis, but when I appreci- 
 ated the difficultv in getting letters through, T did not wonder at the 
 delav, but marvelled that any mail at all reached me. So we hastened 
 on over the rubber covered hills and finally reached the ridge on which 
 stands the house, and on which, too, is grouped the marvellous collection 
 of tropical plants and trees referred to in a previous letter. Many of 
 these, by the way, were obtained through the courtesy of the officials in 
 far distant British botanical stations, notably, Calcutta, Singapore, and 
 stations on the west coast of Africa. Indeed. Mexico owes to these 
 officials and to Mr. Harvey's cnteri)rise the introduction of the Kickwia 
 Africanus and the Hcvca Brasilicnsis. 
 
 We reached the plantation house at last, and everyone welcomed 
 
■1^ 
 
 "%. 
 
 
 
 
 'sr^'^-'-S 
 
 
 ^"%^i 
 
 
 ^.;:A»»»^. 
 
 
 ..%f'»*- 
 
 ^4 ' 
 
 
 ►-;*--*»».i^l^ 
 
156 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 us warmly. The tame macaw, the little green parroquette. Lora the 
 parrot, and even Bola, the big yellow tomcat, vied with the dogs in an 
 enthusiastic ovation. Things seemed to be al)Out as we had left them, 
 and except for the fact that my black shoes had gathered a fur of green 
 mold, and one of them was occupied by an enormous spider, I was 
 perfectlv content. Speaking of spiders, there are many of them, but 
 they are the least of the insect troubles. If left alone, they are harmless 
 and not much in evidence, but the rodador, the [^iiiolco, the chaqitista! — 
 they are looking for trouble. The rodador is like the black fly of the Xorth 
 American woods. It is in some places most al)undant, and its bite raises 
 an itching lump that lasts several days. After a little, however, one 
 becomes inoculated with rodador virus, and the only result is a small 
 black spot that scales ofif without any itching or burning. They trouble 
 some newcomers exceedingly, but I found them only a slight discomfort, 
 not important enough to take any special precaution to- mitigate. 
 
 Among the insects that are most easily domesticated, and that 
 attach themselves with instant affection to the passing traveler, I should 
 name the p'molco, the cojichitdo, and the garrapafa. They are all related, 
 and are of the tick family. The pinole has a habit of associating with 
 himself several millions of others, each one the size of a pin point, and 
 hanging on a leaf or twig over a trail where animals or men are accus- 
 tomed to pass. When the branch is touched, they instantly catch on to 
 whatever touches it, and proceed to distribute themselves over the body 
 and seek for tender spots whereupon to feast. I had a most abundant 
 and energetic collection of piuolcos on several occasions, Init got rid 
 of them without much troulile. 
 
 The coiichiido is simply a pinolco that has not been blotted out early 
 in life, and who grows into a fairly sizeable tick. He does not burrow 
 into the flesh, but simply hangs on, and grows fat off the animal of his 
 adoption. The garrapata is the pinolco grown to maturity, and is a good 
 large ablebodied tick that fastens himself upon his victim, and is very 
 reluctant to let go. Another little pest that troubles some people is the 
 chaquistc. a fly so minute that one can hardly see him. and that hides 
 itself in the hair of the head, its bite being like the sting of an electric 
 
 needle. 
 
 There are, of course, mosquitoes, although personally I was troubled 
 verv little by them during the whole of my trip, and ordinary fleas are to 
 be found in the towns and cities from one end of the country to tlie other. 
 The insect that I most dreaded, however, and which was described to 
 me bv many of the old time residents, was the moyaqnil. This is a grub 
 
isTiiMCs or i/iin\i\riiriiC 
 
 157 
 
 whicli hurniws in the llrsli, and which when a])|)niachin^ nialurity is 
 alK)Ut an inch l<'nL;. It is .su])])i iscd t(i l)c liatchcd from the egg of a fly, 
 some sav a butterlly, and is very easily (Hsposed of if one knows what 
 it is. When once imbedded in the tlesh. it has the appearance of a blind 
 boil, litu under a magnifying glass, the head of the creature can be seen 
 just above the skin, and a little sticky substance, such as rubber sap, 
 suffocates it, and it is easily extracted. 
 
 The next two days were set a])art for more ])lantation visiting, but 
 my good luck, as far as weather was concerned, suddenly fled. It rained 
 so hard that traveling would have been torture, and visiting folly, so on 
 the third da\ I turned niy face towards the City of Mexico — a far cry, 
 however, for first must come a long afternoon's tram]) along the railroad 
 track to Achotal. We did it, reaching the town at dusk. Then followed 
 
 FILISULA IX llv I'ALMV D.WS. 
 
 Photo Copyright by C. B. Waite. 
 
 the wait until one in the morning, when the train arrived. We waited 
 on cots in Antonio's palatial shed, which we shared with mo::os. dogs, pigs, 
 mules, horses, and the "murderer." The last named was the only really 
 interesting bit of scenery there. He appeared soon after the rest were 
 asleep, and crouched by the side of the door of the next hut. his sullen 
 face filled with hate, his hand toying with the hilt of a wicked looking 
 knife. He wasn't after us, so we let him alone. At 12.30 we got up, 
 took our traps, stumbled over a family of sleeping porkers that w^ere 
 Iving in the passage between the huts, sidled down a narrow plank to 
 the railroad track, squeezed in between a lot of iiiocos who. wrapped 
 in blankets, covered the depot platform, and awaited the coming of the 
 
158 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 train. W'liile we sat there, one of the uiozos roused up, and hegan to 
 talk to my companion. After a time, l\Ir. Harvey turned to me and 
 said : 
 
 "Here is a most remarkable thing-; this man was on his wav to ni}- 
 plantation to get work, wdien some of the railroad men told him that I 
 drove my laborers out in the field early in the morning, hitting them with 
 the flat of the machete, that I fed them very poorly, and made them 
 sleep in a fenced enclosure that had no roof over it, so he didn't dare 
 come. That is the way they try to get our help for themselves." 
 
 At length, after what seemed an interminable wait, the train arrived, 
 and we got aboard. The train boy had some canned beans and crackers 
 from which we made a hearty meal, and then, stretching out on the seats, 
 we slept as best we could until we reached the l^reakfast station at Perez. 
 The breakfast was fair, but the fruit we bought later was reallv what 
 made life worth living. At every railway station, women and children 
 gathered under the car windows with fruits, flowers, native made candies, 
 and the great variety of sweet cakes of which both Mexicans and Indians 
 are very fond. I got a dozen oranges for ten cents, and thev were 
 simply delicious. A fruit that I had been very anxious to taste was the 
 sapadillo, produced by the tree from which the chicle comes, and, finding 
 them on sale at last, I immediately invested. It is about the size of an 
 apple, with a skin like the potato, the ]mlp tasting like gelatine filled 
 with brown sugar. I also sampled many other fruits. Of them all, as 
 might be expected, the banana is the most common, and I observed several 
 varieties that are never seen in the States. Some tinv yellow ones, a 
 little larger than one's thumb, have an extremely delicate flavor, and are 
 delicious. Of this family is a large plantain wdiich is either fried or 
 broiled, never being eaten raw, and which is extremely palatable. There 
 are a great variety of other fruits which appear at certain seasons, such, 
 for example, as the sour sop, a sort of pear with a prickly alligator skin 
 hide, and which tastes like sour snow mixed with cotton Ijatting. 
 
 During the forenoon we rode through a country largely given up to 
 cattle ranches. Of domestic animals in Mexico, the cattle are perhaps 
 the most valuable, and even with the poor strain of stock that is bred, 
 many large fortunes come to the owners of the rrmches. Besides this, 
 those who go into the cattle business have no trouble at all in getting 
 help, as the native Mexican is a natural cowbo)-, and if he has but a ponv 
 and a big set of spurs, he is willing to work as he is at no other calling. 
 Some of the more progressive ranchers are crossing their cattle with 
 imported stock, and getting fine results. Most of the rubber planters 
 
jsrnMrs oi' riunwxTi-Piic 
 
 159 
 
 keep a certain minil)er of callle for their own iniinediate wants, and 
 for feeding the hel]). and occasionally they are ahle to get a little fresh 
 milk; l)iit few of the cows are good milkers, and for native use, goat's 
 milk is very extensively used. 
 
 One thing that 1 had a chance to do on this forenoon's journey 
 was to look over the notes that 1 had taken relative to the manner in 
 which real estate, and particularly plantations, are taxed. This is iKjt 
 an interesting stibject to the casual reader, so if he will kindly skip a 
 few paragraphs, and allow others the ])rivilege of reading, it will he 
 esteemed a favor. It seems that there is an actual tax for the transfer 
 of property, which is called traslacioii dc domino, assessed in the follow- 
 ino- manner: Two ])er cent, is charged on the value stii)ulate(l in the deed. 
 
 FILISOLA WATER FRONT AT PRESENT. 
 
 [Photo Copyrighted by C. B. Waite.] 
 
 provided that value is equal to or more than the official value, the latter 
 being the value on record established at the last sale of the property, or 
 if there has not been a recent sale, established by the valuation com- 
 mittee, called the iiiiita calificadora. This two per cent, is the state tax. 
 and on this two per cent, is charged thirty per cent, federal tax. If 
 this transfer tax is not paid immediately after the execution of a title, 
 a tine of twentv-four per cent, per annum on the amount of sale, or the 
 official value if the property is charged. Government registration of a 
 title is not allowed unless this transfer tax has been paid. This transfer 
 tax applies onlv on real estate, and is charged only when property 
 changes hands. 
 
 Countrv real estate {fiiica nistica) is calculated as follows: Six per 
 
i6o RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 cent, of the value is figured ; upon this amount five per cent, is charged 
 as a state tax for the year, and upon this same amount thirty per cent, 
 is charged as a federal tax. These taxes are payable the first of each 
 quarter or yearly in advance. Failure to pay during the first month 
 of each quarter subjects one to a fine of six and one-quarter per cent, 
 for the first month, twelve and one-half per cent, for the second month, 
 and for the third month, or thereafterwards, twenty-five per cent. The 
 only products in the locality that I visited where taxes are charged are 
 cofifee, sugar, and tobacco, and upon these four cents per are is levied. 
 This arc is one-hundredth part of a hectare, and a hectare is 2.471 acres. 
 On this four per cent., thirty per cent, is charged as a federal tax. 
 These taxes may also be paid quarterly or yearly, and if not paid during 
 the first fifteen days of each month, a fine of six per cent, is charged and 
 if not paid during the first two months of each quarter or later, twent}- 
 five per cent, is charged. It will be seen that these taxes are very light, 
 and the government gives the planters the privilege of making their own 
 manifests as to the area of the land under cultivation, and invariably 
 accepts these in good faith. 
 
 ~ That night we spent in Cordoba, and the next morning went early 
 to Orizaba to recuperate. We both were in need of rest, and felt the 
 effect of that fine dry climate almost at once. Orizaba, be it said, is £ 
 most civilized city, quite a resort for health seekers, and its guardians 
 look with great disfavor upon the free and easy inhabitants of the coun- 
 try south. I was somewhat indignant at the looks cast upon me l^y the 
 policeman, until I learned that it was against the law to wear a revolver, 
 so I gladly unshipped mine, and stowed it away in my bag. Not that 
 the city is really prudish. It runs a big public gambling house, which 
 every dweller patronizes, and the profits from which go for municipal 
 improvements. 
 
 I met many Americans there, among them Maxwell Riddle, who 
 was shivering with calentura, and was hastening back to Tierra Blanca 
 to sweat it out; John W. Byam, on his way to the San Marcos planta- 
 tion, accompanied by Mr. Wood, his manager, who was just back from 
 the Congo Free State ; Mr. Cavanaugh of Perez, and many others. 
 
 We luxuriated in Orizaba, attended the theatre, saw the poorest 
 centimatograph show on earth, learned from the natives that the Ameri- 
 can national hymn is "There's a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.'" 
 and thus improved both mind and body. 
 
 Finally I was rested, and Mr. Harvey had secured a lot of rare 
 orchids from a learned old ^Icxican horticulturist there, and further 
 
1 62 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 arranged for an exploring trip with him later, and the time had come to 
 part. I tried hard to get him to visit New York with me, but with the 
 true tropical dread of pneumonia and grippe, he sturdily refused. With 
 a simple handshake we parted, but I wish he could have looked into my 
 heart, and read there the gratitude that I felt, and how I appreciated the 
 hospitality and consideration that he had shown to the tenderfoot who 
 dropped in so suddenly upon him, rode his best horse, stole the affections 
 of his parrot, and wore a hole in his favorite canvas chair. 
 
 On my return to the City of Mexico almost the first people that I 
 met were Messrs. Warren and William Fish, Mr. Charles E. Sieler, Mr. 
 S. D. Dorman, and Dr. W. S. Cockrell, all of whom have interests down 
 in the Trinidad River district. I had met these gentlemen before, with 
 the exception of the last named, and as he has been interested in rubber 
 cultivation for nine years, I was glad to get an expression of opinion 
 from him. He is a very earnest advocate of close planting. I believe 
 he laid it down as a rule that the distances between the trees should be 
 six feet and six inches. He has also gone into the subject of smothering 
 the grass by the use of the cow pea, and strongly recommends the whip- 
 poorwill variety. He said that his own observations proved that when 
 the Castilloa was planted in a soil that consisted of a thin layer of loam 
 over gravel, the trees did very well for three or four years, and after 
 that seemed not only to stop growing, but that they produced very little 
 lofc.v. 
 
 His remarks remind me that in transferring my notes I left out my 
 visit to Filisola, a plantation that is not only an acknowledged failure, 
 but one that is practically abandoned. As the record of failure is often 
 of more value than is the story of any number of successes, I am going to 
 add it right here. 
 
 It was hot — awfull\- liot — as we climbed up the hillside to the 
 rubber trees. On the way we walked in single file, constantly thrashing 
 our leggings with switches to dislodge the clinging piiiolcos. On the 
 rolling ground above the landing, we found a stand of trees, said to be 
 seven thousand in number, planted about twelve feet apart. Most of 
 them were in the sun, but quite a lot were in among banana trees, and 
 had good shade. Those in the sun were knee deep in grass, which was 
 not of one year's growth, but showed a permanent sod. Those in the 
 shade were free from grass. All of the trees, howeycr, looked aged, not 
 in size, but from the wrinkled condition of the bark, and the gray lichen 
 that covered it. Yet those trees were but seven \ears old. They \-ielde(l 
 some lafc.v, but the most o])timistic seller of ruliber planting stock would 
 
IS ri I MI'S OF riiin'AXTiiPEc 
 
 163 
 
 not dare predict that tliey would ever j^^row another foot. Thev looked 
 matured, finished, discourai^ed. and a ])liysical examination of the soil 
 explained it. A tliin leaf mold, then sandv clav with a trace of iron, then 
 clay, -and the whole as dry as a smoked herrinij, was what it showed. A 
 variety of opinions were ])ut forw'ard as to the cause of the failure of 
 this venture — mismanagement, poor soil, had seed, i^rass, etc. — l)ut to 
 my mind the soil told the whole story. 
 
 I have had so many incpiiries concerning tlu' cow pea that I want 
 to add a word concernint;- it. The hotanical name of the f)rdinary variety 
 
 RUBBER TKK 
 
 MdNTHS OLD FROM SEED. 
 
 is the Jlgiia kantaing. It is one of the well known leguminous plants 
 of the southern states, grown ]:)artlv for fodder and partlv for ha\-. It 
 makes the land richer because it returns to it so much of the mineral 
 matter taken from the soil, and in addition much nitrogen from the air. 
 There are a number of varieties used through the southern states, such 
 as the "clay." the "unknown," and the "whippoorwill." The advantages 
 of the cow pea are, it is a nitrogen gatherer ; it shades the soil in summer, 
 leaving it friable and loose ; it has a large root development : is adapted 
 to almost anv sort of soil ; stands heat and sunshine well ; and if sown 
 
i64 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
 
 thickly, will, by its rapid growth and shade, effectually smother all 
 weeds, thus serving as a cleansing crop. 
 
 There is another plant which rubber planters might well look into, 
 and that is the velvet bean — the HTucitna pnivicns (var. iitilis). This plant 
 comes originally, I think, from Tampa, Florida, and no doubt the Florida 
 experiment station could tell all about it. It is said to have even a 
 more luxurious growth than the cow pea, and produces a great amount 
 of vine, and a large yield of seeds. It covers the ground with so heavy 
 a vine that it is reported to have killed temporarily even the cocoa and 
 Johnson grasses. 
 
 When one is in a foreign country, and almost ready to start for 
 home, and a bit homesick at that, there comes a moment when all deter- 
 rents are brushed aside, and one bolts. I had planned several days 
 sightseeing, and a stop oft' on the way, but instead I bolted. I met all 
 sorts of nice chaps on the return journey, yet it was a long week that 
 elapsed ere I sighted the skyscrapers of New York. Now that I am here, 
 I wish somewhat that I had stayed a trifle longer, and I find myself 
 yearning again for the open air life, the strange experiences, and the 
 glimpses of nature — luxuriant, triumphant. 
 
 Will this wishful attitude draw me back there soon — I wonder ! 
 
A VISIT TO RUBBER PLANTA- 
 TIONS IN NICARAGUA 
 
A VISIT TO RUBBER I'LAXTATK )XS I X XICARAGUA. 
 
 On Board The Sunbeam— December Heat— Meeting a Water Spout- 
 Arrival AT Bluefields- Up the Escondido— Morning Glory Vines Among the 
 Rubber Trees— Devastation of Castilloa by Heavy Rains— Interesting 
 Experiments in Tapping— The Manhattan Plantation— Visits to Other 
 Rubber Growers— Diseases of the Castilloa— On a Fruiter to New Orleans. 
 
 WE three, the Importer, the Manufacturer, and the Editor, left 
 Port Limon. Costa Rica, at T.30 in the afternoon on a hot, 
 tropical December day. The short voyage from Port Limon 
 to Bluefields, something like one hundred and fifty miles, was to be 
 taken on a small, fifty-two-ton schooner owned by Belanger's, Incorpor- 
 ated, of Nicaragua, and used in trading u]) and down the coast. The 
 
 W n \kF AT 1!KI,.\.\L.EK >. 
 
 schooner was equipped with a gasoline auxiliary which took up most of 
 the room aft, and made the rest of it so thick with gasoline fumes that 
 it was difficult to stay in the cabin ten minutes at a time, so we lived 
 on deck. The vessel was called the Simbcaiu and was manned by a 
 mixed crew of negroes from the Fortune Islands. San Bias Indians, 
 and one Englishman, and was commanded by a Cayman Islander. 
 
 Starting out against a head wind, our gasoline "kicker"" put us 
 along at the rate of about four miles an hour, and we sat scorching on 
 deck until finally the sun set and we turned in, still on deck, sleeping 
 
 167 
 
i68 
 
 A J 'I Sir TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 in our clothes, on a pile of old sails in the stern of the l^oat. The bed 
 was far from comfortable for one at all finical about the soft side of 
 a plank, and the Importer did not take to it a bit. He had chosen a 
 place next to the bulwarks, and had only one ring bolt in the small of 
 his back, while the Manufacturer was curled in the form of an S around 
 a huge cleat, and a part of the steering gear. How^ever, morning came 
 at last, and the little boat kicked along through a blazing sun at first, 
 until it finally clouded up, and later, about three miles to the northeast, 
 a huge waterspout was sighted. M^e were all so dull and drowsy that 
 we didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when it drew nearer and 
 nearer, and the captain furled all sail and made everything fast, we 
 
 WATER FRONT AT ULUEFIELU 
 
 thought it might be possible that w'e were going to have some fun. It 
 was the first time I had ever seen anything but pictured waterspouts, 
 and I had always been a bit skeptical about them ; Init as it got within 
 a few hundred feet of us, I was a most thorough convert. It was really 
 a most remarkable sight. The sea was quite smooth, except where the 
 end of the great funnel touched the water, and there it was broken up 
 into curious little wavelets. The huge circular tube of vapor did not 
 go straight up, but slanted ofif into an especially black cloud and 
 appeared to l)e a mile and a half in length. \Vhen it was near enough, 
 the captain liegan shooting in its direction with an old-fashioned Colt's 
 revolver, and the Manufacturer, getting his gun, took a hand in the 
 same game. Whether the concussion did the work or not, I don't know, 
 but before it reached us it suddenly dissolved, and in a very few seconds 
 no trace of it was to be seen. 
 
IN MC.U^JCL'A 
 
 169 
 
 After thai w c' had ii<i fiirthcT excitement except the catching- of a 
 big- kingfish, which hel])e(l out our table immensely. 'Jhat night we slept 
 again on deck, and went through several showers, sailing into lllue- 
 fields about nine the following- morning, where the doctor passed us as 
 "healthy, but ugl.\."" Then we went up against the custom house officials 
 at the blulT. who lingen'd our behjngings for anything contraband, 
 seeming to take ])arlicular delight in running grimy fingers over our 
 toothbrushes, and to have a deep anxiety to unroll camera films, and so 
 on. We got rid of them at last, and l)oarding a fiat-bottomed stern- 
 wheeler, were taken across the broad expanse of Hluefields Bay, and 
 landed at Belanger's wharf, from which we went at once up to La Trop- 
 
 LA TROPICAL HOTEL, BLUEFIELDS. 
 
 ical Hotel for a bath and breakfast. There was but one bathroom, and 
 that was situated over the kitchen, whicb was proved by the sign on 
 the wall: "Don't slop water on the floor; range just below. Gives food 
 a soap\- fiavor." 
 
 After breakfast we went out and looked over the little citv of 
 frame houses, so radically different fron-i most Central American towns, 
 both in its architecture and in the fact that it is built on a side hill where 
 there is a certain amount of drainage. \\'e didn't tarrv long in Blue- 
 fields, however, for our flat-bottomed boat, Xaf. Jr.. a sternw^heel 
 freighter was waiting, and with our luggage aljoard we soon started 
 
170 
 
 A 11 SIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 up through the wonderful system of lagoons and waterways that were 
 to be our pathway to the rubber plantations. 
 
 These comprise the Bluefields River, the Escondido ("Hidden 
 Waters'") River, and a great variety of deep lagoons and waterways, inter' 
 mingling in inextricable confusion, shut in by walls of tropical foliage — 
 an expanse of natural passages so great that a navy might easily be hidden 
 there without the remotest chance of detection. Indeed, in the old days 
 of the Imccaneers, these lagoons were favorite retreats, and if closely 
 pursued a vessel could slip into one of them, tie a few branches to her 
 topmasts, and defy discovery. 
 
 WALDRON S STORE — CUKRA AND CANADA 
 PLANTATIONS. 
 
 The ride up through the Escondido was simply entrancing. There 
 was scarcely a ripple on the water ; the foliage of palms, palmettos, man- 
 groves, and wild Ijananas, interspersed with patches of pampas grass, 
 the stalks of which were twenty and thirty feet high,' bound together 
 with vines and spangled with flowers ; the huge flocks of blue and white 
 cranes and the basking alligators — all made a panorama so wild in its 
 tropical beauty that it added new fascinations every moment. 
 
 iMuallv, late in the afternoon, we turned into Sloophouse creek, 
 and a little later were moored at the pier belonging to the Cukra 
 
^Y N/c.iix'.u;r.i 
 
 171 
 
 ])l;mtati()n. Ilcrc wc <lisc'iiil)arkc-(l, and lea\'in<4- our luj^'s^ai^e to be 
 brought up later, followed a narrow-j^auge banana railway up over a 
 little hill through a part of the lifteen-hundred-acre banana i)lantation 
 of the Cukra Company, and were soon at the house of Mr. ( iordon W'al- 
 (Iron, one of the owners, where we had a bountiful supper and a most 
 interesting- chat, chiefly on rubber, .\fter su])per. in the bright moon- 
 light, we boarded a flat car drawn by a diminutive engine and rode three 
 miles into the country to the road that led to the Manhattan planta- 
 tion. Idiere saddle horses and a wagon were awaiting us. and as ii had 
 suddenly clouded up and begun to rain, the Importer and I got on the 
 top of the baggage, preferring to trust ourselves to a wagon rather than 
 a horseback ride through the pitch\ darkness. The road was far from 
 smooth, and we got ample exercise before reaching the plantation house. 
 
 y 
 
 p^%^s-^-ii 
 
 J 
 
 
 t*^ 
 
 :.■% 
 
 ^ 
 
 m 
 
 9ii 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 .'■;:-m| 
 
 B^' /' 
 
 1 
 
 m^ 
 
 ■■■■'Tt.,*, 
 
 >jff-> 
 
 _. 
 
 
 ■i 
 
 W.\LE)RON S CANADA PLANTATION. 
 
 We did reach it finally, at 11.30, and turning in under mosquito nets, 
 slept like tops. 
 
 x\t daybreak the whole crowd roused out, and going to the door 
 we found that we were right in the middle of planted rubber. It was 
 on all sides of us, even in the vard. The average age of the trees was about 
 three years and they all looked stocky and thrifty. The soil seemed to be a 
 red, loamy clay, cpiite porous, with considerable volcanic rock through it. 
 and the country rolling rather than fiat. The soil was excedinglv deep, 
 as was attested bv several wells that had l)een sunk, the deepest being 
 fortv feet, which had not got through that formation. 
 
 That the trees bled very freely. I was able to prove before break- 
 fast, as I walked around and ran my knife into the spongy bark. A little 
 
172 
 
 A J^ISIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 later, when we started out on our tour of inspection, the Importer, who 
 would not ride horseback, was fitted out with a sort of buckboard, 
 drawn by a mule and driven by a Southern darkey known as Jake. 
 The rest of us rode horses. 
 
 Almost the first thing that struck me about the planting problem 
 down there was the remarkable prevalence of the morning glory vine. 
 Just as soon as the land is cleared and planted it takes possession, and 
 if it were not cut down constantly around the young rubber trees, it 
 would most effectually smother them. When the trees get a good start, 
 the vine suddenly dies out and the grass comes in. My belief had always 
 been that for grass to get into rubber was fatal to the growth and pro- 
 
 KESUiEXCE OF SIM IRON. 
 
 ductiveness of the tree. I saw acres down there, however, with the 
 grass growing among the three-year-old trees, and they were apparently 
 as healthy and thrifty as they could possibly be. A little later the shade 
 of the tree seems to discourage the growth of the grass, and in one 
 planting, where the trees were l^etween four and five years old, the 
 grass had practically disappeared. 
 
 The refusal of the Castilloo to put up with too much water was 
 emphasized bv the fact that a section of land, containing perhaps ten 
 acres, on the Manhattan plantation, where during the heavy rains the 
 water had not drained away quickly enough, most of the trees had died. 
 
IN NICARAGUA 
 
 1/3 
 
 Speaking i>t the rain in this section, the local report is that there are 
 ahout two hundred and fifty inches a year. I don't know that that is the 
 result of actual measurement, but while we were there it certainly rained 
 about as easily as it does in any part of the world. During a forenoon's 
 ride we would often go through three or four showers, not heavy ones, 
 but the gentlest sort of refreshing spring rain, 'i'he elevation of the 
 bunch of plantations that we were visiting is about two hundrecl and 
 
 SIM IRON S RUBBER PL.\XT.\TIOX. 
 
 fifty feet above sea level, and as a rule, the soil was very rich and very 
 well drained. 
 
 One of the first plantations that we visited was owned by a genial 
 old gentleman from A'irginia by the name of Sim Iron. He runs his 
 place himself and has about seventeen thousand trees between three and 
 four vears old. His ranch houses were more picturesque than those of 
 the Manhattan, in that they were palm thatched and built largely in the 
 native fashion. During a part of the year the old gentleman has his wife 
 
1/4 
 
 A VISIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 on the place with him, and thev seem as happy and heahhy as if they 
 were running a farm in a northern chme. 
 
 After looking over the Sim Iron plantation, we visited Daytonia. 
 now the Rubber Grove plantation, where there were some very good 
 trees, although it was explained that the man who started the planatation 
 sold something like two hundred thousand dollars of stock, and spent 
 
 IN rni-: shake ov a rui'.1!Er tkkk. 
 [Named from right to left: Sim Iron, S. W. Sinclair, J. A. Belanger, 
 diaries H. Arnold, Arthur F. Townsend, The Cook, Henry C. Pearson.] 
 
 only thirty thousand dollars in planting. He was later prosecuted for 
 fraud and was sent to jail in some one of the United States. The planta- 
 tion was then taken over by a local company, who are getting it into 
 good shape. 
 
 After leaving Davtonia. wc visited some small jirivate iilantati(^n<;. 
 
IN NICARACIW 
 
 175 
 
 all of Ciislil/oa, which Inokcd cxcelk'nllv. Then we returned t(j the 
 Manhattan House for noun Ijreakfast. and in the afternoon walked 
 across lots to look at the ruhber on the (ukra ])lantation. Just as we 
 ^ot there our first real shower came down. That was not anv spring 
 rain; it was more like a cIoudl)urst, and kept tis ])enned in the house 
 for nearly an hour. It cleared oil, however, as suddenly as it came on, 
 aufl then we began to examine the interesting experiments that' were 
 being carried on b\- Mr. W'aldron. 
 
 He had alreaily begun tapping some of his six-year-old trees, and 
 close to the house where we had taken refuge from the shower was 
 his coagulating and dr\ing house. In this house were galvanized iron 
 
 MAXHATTAX PLA, X lATlOX. 
 
 iWELi.lXl, HOUSE. 
 
 cans holding half a barrel, each filled with hifrx mixed with water and 
 formaldehyde, while from the ceiling hung long strips of rubber being 
 air dried. Mr. Waklron used the formaldehyde to keep the latex from 
 coagulating too soon, and he washed out the vegetable acids and the 
 albumen by diluting the later and creaming it. He found some dififi- 
 cultv in coagulating, and had, therefore, fitted up a couple of caldrons 
 close to the house, and was boiling the latex. The rubber appeared to 
 be verv clean, liut a little short. Indeed, Mr. Waldron acknowdedged 
 that he thought it was coalesced instead of coagulated. 
 
 From the coa^ulatino- house we walked down throuiih the rubber 
 
176 
 
 A VISIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
JN NICARAGUA 
 
 177 
 
 orchard to tlu" trees that were tlicn hciiio- tapped. This work was done 
 very carefullv and in the most cleanly way, the latex being caught in 
 tin cups of which there were three rows of four cups each, making 
 twelve cups to the tree. After the milk had stopped flowing and the cups 
 had been emptied, a native was sent around with a spoon to take off the 
 thick creamlike exudation that gathered in the cuts. As this was taken 
 off before coagulation, it went into solution with the rest of the latex 
 without anv trouble. Mr. Waldron was getting three ounces of dry 
 
 MOSQUITO INDIANS. 
 
 ru1:)ber from each tree and was planning to tap them a number of tniies 
 during the year. He talked of tapping by team work through the whole 
 of the dry season, and during the wet season to skip only a couple of 
 weeks during the torrential rains. 
 
 We tried the Ceylon tool, but it didn't seem any better than the 
 ordinary knife for this work. The general manager of Cukra. although 
 very much of an iconoclast, and not in the habit of following other 
 people's lead, acknowledged that much of his tapping and coagulating 
 
178 
 
 A J'ISIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 was only experimental, and that he expected hefore long to work down 
 to a simpler and more practical system. At the same time, he claimed, 
 that cumbersome as his present process was, it 
 pro\-ed most thoroughly the profitableness of . 
 rubber planting. 
 
 During the rest of our stay on this group of 
 plantations, we made our headquarters at Man- 
 hattan, riding out in various directions and ex- 
 amining the rubber, and discussing it with vari- 
 ous planters, who were much interested in mak- 
 ing a success of it. There are in the vicinity, at a 
 conservative estimate, about four hundred thous- 
 and cultivated Casfilloa trees, the largest single 
 plantation being the Canada plantation, of which 
 Mr. Waldron is manager and chief owner. This 
 plantation has about two hundred thousand trees; 
 next to that comes the Manhattan, with about 
 one hundred and fortv thousand. This group of 
 ]^lantations lies in the form of an eclipse, about 
 fi\e miles long and two miles broad. 
 
 .\fter having visited the typical plantations, 
 collected samples, and secured all the infor- 
 mation possible, the whole crowd saw us down 
 to the Cukra pier, where we again embarked on 
 the :V(7/. ./;-., and started down the river on our 
 wav back to Bluefields. 
 
 We reached this Americanized city early in 
 the evening, and found that a fruiter was starting 
 for Xew ( )rleans the next morning, and that the 
 governor had promised to hold it for us, so that 
 we could not miss it. In the meantime, our 
 friends began to make it easy for us to leave the 
 country. One of the first things to be done in 
 leaving Nicaragua is to secure a passport, for 
 which one pays a dollar. Mine described me as 
 being about thirty-five years old and having red 
 hair, but so long as it sufficed to let me out of the 
 countr\- I didn't care, particularly as the descri])- 
 tion of the Imi)orter and the Manufacturer were even less flattering. 
 I have already mentioned that the custom house at P.luefields is 
 
 JBjn, 
 
 "CASTILLOA STEM 
 ATT.-VCKED BY SCALE. 
 
IN NIC! N. ICC A 
 
 179 
 
 situated at the hlulT, Sdiiie miles trnin the city itself, and it was while 
 going over to the fruiter that was to take us to New Orleans, that we 
 saw a very curious instance of the peculiar concessions that are held by 
 various companies. It seems that a steamer which was not one of the 
 elect had come down there for a load of bananas, in other words, it 
 didn't belong- to the compan\ having the navigation concessions. It 
 was, therefore, not allowed to go up into the rivers or lagoons but, not 
 to be l)eaten, the steamer's captain sent up to certain ])lanters who 
 promptlv despatched a huge scow load of bananas to the bluff where the 
 steamer lay. The government caused the scow to be laid alongside of 
 its wharf, and proceeded to discuss the unlawfulness of the proceedings. 
 While this discussion was going on, something like a lunidred soldiers 
 marched onto the gunwale of the scow, which careened it just enough 
 
 LARVAE OF CASTILLOA BORER. 
 
 to cause the water to flow over the low bulwarks and sink the boat, 
 bananas and all. 
 
 I tried to get a photograph of the sinking scow, but was deterred 
 by a gentleman who said that I might get in trouble with the customs 
 officers, and get my stuff held up if I gave evidence of being too active 
 a partisan. This was no idle dream, for I had trouble enough with the 
 officials anyhow, although I was not taking anything out of the country 
 except what I had brought in, with the exception of a few samples of 
 rubber and some Casfilloa twigs that [ was taking home in order to 
 discover bv what disease thev were attacked. 
 
 Speaking of diseases of the Casfilloa tree, I noticed in a yard sur- 
 rounding one of the plantation houses, that numbers of trees were 
 
i8o A VISIT TO THE RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 affected by scale, some of them quite badly, the insect appearing to have 
 practically destroyed the lactiferous tubes, so that the outer bark pre- 
 sented a curious shrunken appearance. This scale, as far as I was able 
 to observe, only appeared where neither undergrowth nor weeds were 
 in evidence round the foot of the tree. All of the trees thus aiTected were 
 uprooted and burned. I brought samples of the stems back to the 
 United States, however, and through the courtesy of the experts at the 
 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at New Haven, and the 
 Bureau of Entomology at Washington, I was able to identify the dis- 
 ease and also to discover simple remedies. The reports of the two ento- 
 mologists follow : 
 
 Dear Sir : Your letter with specimens has been referred to me. 
 The tree seems to be attacked by two species of scale insects . the large 
 brown one is a Lccanium, and the small, glassy, greenish yellow one is 
 an Asterolecanmm. We do not have the literature by which I can 
 determine them specifically. From a knowledge of similar species 
 found in this part of the country. I should expect that a thorough spray- 
 ing with kerosene emulsion or whale oil soap would destroy them, though 
 of course experience is needed to know just how strong to make the 
 mixture. I should try some of these made in the proportion recom- 
 mended in published bulletins, and if it did not kill them. I should use 
 somewhat stronger mixtures. 
 
 A'ery truly yours, 
 
 W. L. Britton, 
 State Entomologist, The Connecticut Agricultural Ex- 
 perimental Station, New Haven, Connecticut. 
 
 Dear Sir: The scale insects upon the twigs which you sent repre- 
 sent the akee fringed scale (Astcrolccaniinii I'lisfiilaiis), and Leiiaci- 
 odiaspis riigosiis (f). This Asfcrolccaiiiinii is very common and very 
 injurious in the West Indies. Tt works principally upon akee, oleander, 
 fig, and hibiscus. Mr. Maxwell-Lefroy, the government entomologist 
 to the West Indies, in pamphlet series No. 7 of the Imperial Department 
 of Agriculture for the West Indies, recommends kerosene eiuulsion for 
 the control of this insect. His fornuila and method of ])reparati(in is 
 as follows: "Kerosene emulsion: Dissolve one-half pound of hard soap 
 in one gallon of water; add two gallons of kerosene to the hot liquid, 
 and immediatcU- clnirn witli a syringe or force pump until the mixture 
 becomes creamy. This is a stock solution. Make u]) to thirty-three 
 Sfallons. Use onl\ rain or soft water." 
 
/.V XK .lh'.li,rA 
 
 i8i 
 
 The kerosene eiinilsion ])rei)aratiun can also be applied for the 
 Lccaniodiaspis, of which only a few specimens were found on the twig 
 
 which }Ou sent. 
 
 Yours Iruh', 
 
 F. H. Chitti:.\im:x. 
 
 ActiiiR Chiit, r-urcan of luitoniology, 
 Washington. I ). C. 
 
 Another possible enemy to the Caslilloa that the alert planters were 
 seeking information about, was a wood borer which attacked the tree 
 where tlie self-])runino- branches broke off, and occasionally where the 
 
 STERN OF "NAT, JR. 
 
 bark was cut or wounded. The lanrc of the insect are large grubs, that 
 after penetrating the outer bark burrow upwards inside of the cambium, 
 and then straight through the wood, completely honeycombing it so 
 that the trees break short off when very little wind comes. This does 
 not always kill the tree, but it sets it back apprecial)ly. These borers 
 appear to be most active during the months of June and July. The 
 planters, for a remedy, were using a mixture of tar. kerosene oil, black 
 oil and sulphur. This killed the grub if it touched it, but it was very 
 difificult to reach it because of the length of the burrow. A suggestion 
 for keeping the borers out was to have a gang of men constantly going 
 
i82 // riSIT TO RUBBER PLANTATIONS 
 
 over the trees and tarring all cuts and the sockets left by the dropping 
 off of the temporary branches. This, however, would be very expensive 
 and hardly practical. I was able to secure a number of specimens of 
 the larvce, and the Bureau of Entomology at Washington decided that 
 they belonged to one of the large moths, family Cossidce. Their report 
 was that they knew little about the work of this moth, but that the best 
 way to kill the borer was to inject a few drops of carbon bisulphide into 
 the burrow with an oil can, closing the orifice with a little wax. The 
 fumes of the solvent would then penetrate the lower part of the burrow 
 and kill the grub. Professor John Barlow, of Kingston, Rhode Island, 
 however, reported that instead of a moth it was probably a beetle. He 
 suggested the same treatment for the destruction of the grub as the 
 Bureau of Entomology at Washington. In this connection, it may be 
 well to recall that sometime before this an anonymous writer reported 
 that a beetle, the Aconsymits longimanus, was troublesome in Nica- 
 ragua just in this way — that is, laying eggs in wounds in bark of the 
 Castilloa, which developed into borers and greatly injured the trees. 
 
 The fruiter on which we finally embarked was a Norwegian of 
 about seven hundred tons, and carried ten thousand ])unches of bananas. 
 As we were the onlv three passengers, we took possession of the bridge, 
 and also of the captain's quarters, and lived high in everything excejit 
 food. We went out in the face of a norther, and ran into one after another 
 during the whole passage. The boat had no refrigerating apparatus, 
 and to save the fruit both the fore and after hatches were kept wide 
 open, and it was a constant matter of wonderment to me that some of the 
 big green seas didn't topple over our bow and swamp us, but they 
 didn't, and we sailed on by Cape Gracias a Dios, through squall after 
 squall, the temperature all the time in the eighties, and finally, missing 
 the delta of the Mississippi by a wide margin, ran almost to Mobile 
 before we got our bearings. We finally got right, however, and went 
 up the Mississippi and landed in New Orleans just in time to enjoy 
 the fireworks with which thev usher in Christmas Dav. 
 
A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER 
 PLANTING IN COSTA RICA 
 
A GLIMPSE OF RUIJUI'LR i'LAXTlXG IX CUSTA RICA. 
 
 The First Sight of Costa Rica, the Banana Republic— How the Fruit is 
 Shipped by the United Fruit Company— Enterprise of the Native Costa 
 Rican— The City of San Jose and It's National Theatre— A Plantation of 
 One Hundred Thousand Castilloas— Other Plantations of Lesser Size- 
 Watery Latex— Some of the Conditions Necessary to the Success of the 
 Castilloa. 
 
 OUR first sight of Costa Rica came at five o'clock one morning, 
 when we sighted the low-lying city of Port Limon with its hack- 
 ground of far away mountains. It was nearly eight o'clock 
 before we made fast to the pier, and even then it took us some time to 
 have our luggage weighed and the customs paid. The time came finally, 
 
 wharf at port limon, COSTA RICA. 
 
 however, when we were free to walk down the long pier, through the 
 gates, and explore the town. 
 
 Not only is Costa Rica justly called the Banana Repuhlic. but Port 
 Limon is a banana town, and we fully appreciated it when we saw the 
 train loads of green fruit run out upon the piers, the huge bunches 
 dumped upon rubber conveying belts and carried smoothly into the holds 
 of the waiting steamships. The town, moreover, had an alert air about 
 
 185 
 
i86 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANTING 
 
 it that was in no way suggestive of typical Spanish America. It had 
 no very pretentions Imildings, with the exception, perhaps, of the office 
 building of the United Fruit Co., but it boasted two hotels and the "Gem 
 Saloon,'' where all the men congregated, and besides that, almost eyery- 
 bodv spoke English. 
 
 At ten o'clock in the morning, the thermometer stood at 90° F., the 
 air reeking wnth moisture, and the sky covered with evil looking clouds. 
 Nevertheless, the streets were thronged with a most vivacious mixture 
 of porters, fruit sellers, soldiers, Jamaica negroes, Chinese, and native 
 Costa Ricans. At 10.30 we boarded the train that was to take us to the 
 interior, and rode for twenty miles through a flat, swampy country where 
 
 UNITED FRUIT CO. S COMMISSARY, PORT LIMON. 
 
 even the native Costa Rican cannot live, but where the Jamaica negro 
 flourishes and waxes fat. At intervals along the railway were little 
 huddles of huts built on stilts to keep them out of the black mud, roofed 
 with corrugated iron or palm leaves, and full to overflowing with the 
 ebony subjects of his Majesty King Edward Nil. 
 
 The heads of the families that called these shanties, homes, were 
 ver\- largely laborers on the l)anana plantations of the United Fruit Co., 
 and when it is remembered that out of Port Limon come some seven 
 million bunches a year, it is easy to appreciate how large a force of men 
 is needed to cultivate, cut, and ship this great cro]:). It is claimed that 
 there are eleven thousand Jamaica negroes on the plantations near i 'ort 
 
/.V C0S1\\ RICA 
 
 187 
 
 Linion. I'Or tlic-m the Initivl l-"ruit Co. ])r<»\i(k's hospitals, kecpinj^ out 
 two per cent, of thc-ir waives for mecHcal attendance; and yet. in spite 
 of black fever, yellow fever, nujsquitocs. and snakes, there is not a great 
 amount of sickness anionic these laborers. And if one can judge by the 
 appearance of the people, their home life in their little tin-roofed shacks, 
 crowded with pickaninnies. mang\ d<jgs. monkeys, and parrots, shows 
 a greater lueasure of content than is to lie found in the majority of settle- 
 ments more favorabh kjcated. and ])0])ulated b\ those who have a 
 thousandfold more to make existence tolerable. 
 
 As the train emerged from the i^almetto swamj^s. it rail through 
 some magnihcent banana plantations, the trees growing ranklv from rich 
 
 LOAMXt; BANANAS ON A TRAIX. 
 
 alluvial soil and the bunches of fruit being often five or six feet long, 
 and weighing over one hundred pounds each. The railroad, by the way, 
 over which we were traveling, was built through the enterprise of that 
 well known American, ^Ir. [Minor C. Keith, who was also the creator of 
 the great United Fruit Co. 
 
 After a time the road began to ascend and the scenery became more 
 and more beautiful. Nearly the whole of the distance up to the city of 
 San Jose, the wav lav along the side of a range of mountains, and ran 
 parallel with a ra])idlv rushing river, whose white water could be seen 
 oftentimes for miles. As we got up into the higher country, the home 
 life of the Costa Rican began to be apparent. 
 
i88 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANTING 
 
 Everywhere through the broad valleys and up the mountain sides 
 could be seen cleared farms, in many cases fine plantation houses and 
 great coffee estates. The native Costa Rican is perhaps one of the most 
 enterprising and independent of all the Latin Americans. Nearly every 
 man owns a patch of land and cultivates it. The better class speak 
 English and are very friendly to Americans, welcoming them to their 
 country with a manly, prideful air that is extremely taking. 
 
 In the meantime the Ferrocarril Costa Rica was slowly but surely 
 getting us up toward San Jose. The English locomotive was having a 
 tough time of it with the steep grades, and it seemed every now and then 
 as if the pull would be too much and that the heavy train would slip 
 
 TEN MILES OUT OF PORT LIMON. 
 
 back down into the valley. The slow progress, however, gave us every 
 opportunity to examine the track with its iron sleepers, to see where 
 various great landslides had time after time wiped out the railroad and 
 even dammed the swift flowing river; and to enjoy the wonderful semi- 
 tropical luxuriance of the giant trees festooned with vines and studded 
 with epiphytes: to look down into deep gorges, up the sides of steep 
 mountains, and across broad and fertile valleys, so photographed the 
 scencrv in one's mind that the snail's pace of the train was not only 
 not objected to, but was most welcome. At intervals all the way up were 
 to be seen Casfilloa trees, many of which had been tapi)ed in the brutal 
 native fashion, which amounts almost to girdling. At about fifteen 
 
IN COSTA RICA 
 
 189 
 
 IHIKKIPI), S]1()\VIX(; MINOR C. K,-;IT11 S PLACE. 
 
 hunclrcd feet altitude the rul.l)er trees began to appear less frequently, 
 and when the aneroid read two thousand feet, they disappeared entirely. 
 \fter reachino- an elevation of some five thousand feet, we descended 
 a thousand feet, and finallv reached San Jose. The city is situated in 
 the midst of a hroad and fertile valley, and is semi-tro])ical rather than 
 tropical l)eino- surrounded hv huge fields of sugar cane. corn, and grow- 
 incr moc^t of the well known tropical fruits. San Jose itselt is a surprise. 
 
 klVKU SCENE NEAR PORT LmON. 
 
IQO 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANTING 
 
 With its well-kept streets, its trolley lines, electric lights, fine stores, and 
 alert looking inhabitants, it is more like a modern American city than an}-- 
 thing else. Although it contains but twenty-four thousand inhabitants, 
 it gives one the impression of a city of double that size ; partly, perhaps, 
 because the buildings are nearly all two stories only, as the frequent 
 earthquakes do not invite the erection of skyscrapers. The single unpleas- 
 ant feature is the open sewage, which is said to invite typhoid. Aside 
 from that, there is practically no disease, the climate being equable, and the 
 people, except on rare occasions when they take too much aguardiente, 
 give the military police little trouble. 
 
 MOUNTAIN ROAU NEAR SAN JOSE. 
 
 Almost from the first of our landing in this country we 
 heard of the magnificent National Theatre that San Jose pos- 
 sessed. The Latin American description of it made it more 
 elegant and on a larger scale than anything in New York 
 or l^ondon. For this reason, the first view of it was a bit 
 of a disappointment. It certainly was beautiful architecturally, and its 
 decorations were most elaborate, but it is a question if it would hold more 
 than a thousand with comfort. Most of the decorative work was done 
 by artists who were brought from Italy, and some six hundred thousand 
 dollars gold was spent upcn the ])uilding. In the foyer on the beautiful 
 inlaid floor were some of the most gorgeous ruliber mats that I have ever 
 seen, in red, white, and blue, with green leaves, yellow trumpets, golden 
 
IX COST. I RICA 
 
 191 
 
 'aIiA^': 
 
 TYPICAL COSTA RICAX LAND CLEARED FOR PASTURE, WITH 
 CASTILLOA LEFT STANDING { ON THE LEFT.) 
 
 harps, etc., and they Iwre the imprint of the well known firm of Pirelli 
 & Co., Alilan, Italy. 
 
 The city has larse wholesale honses, chiefiv in the hands of the 
 
 SCE.XE I.\ .-TRLLl 1 .\ >AX JOSE. 
 
192 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLAXTING 
 
 Germans, and substantial banks, tbe country l)eing on a gold basis, with 
 the colon as a unit of value, worth forty-six cents in American money. 
 The population of the country is three hundred and forty thousand, 
 none of whom are Indians. Spanish is the language in general use. 1nit 
 almost everybodA- understands English, and it is a delight to mingle with 
 the people, for thev have none of the sullen air so prevalent in certain 
 parts of Spanish America. 
 
 During our stav in the country, we put up at the Hotel Imperial, 
 where we had comfortaljle rooms and enjoyed an excellent table. As a 
 matter of course, we asked many questions about rubber culture. 1)ut 
 from the natives or the resident Americans we developed little informa- 
 
 CENTRAL PARK, SAN JOSE. 
 
 tiou. One of the latter explained it by saying that in that country at 
 the i^resent time bananas were the whole game, because they gave 
 cpiicker results and had behind them the support of the United Fruit 
 Co., wdio were perfectly willing that the planters should make a good 
 thing out of their fruit. One native explained the lack of intestest in 
 rubber planting bv telling us solemnly that rubber seeds planted by man 
 would not develop into productive trees. He said that nature's way of 
 distributing the seeds was for the birds to eat them in order to get the 
 sweet pulp with which they are surrounded, and mingled with their 
 droppings, the seed grew into a tree that was a rubber ])roducer. If 
 it did not go through this ])rei)aratory process, it amounted to nothing. 
 
/.V COST. I KICA 
 
 193 
 
 Mlliou-h \vc had \mA cMMiic to Costa Kica particularly to look up 
 rubber Humv was .mk- plantation that I was anxi..us to examine, which 
 ,v-,s .ai.l to contain over one hundred thousand CastUloas, most ot 
 which had been inlerplanted with bananas. These trees were three or 
 louv vear. obi and planted bv one wh.. ha.l ha-l nnich experience m 
 tropical t.Mvstrv throuuhout Central America. The Importer was so 
 pleased with the city of San Jose atul so relieved to get out of the heat 
 of the lowlands that he decided to stay there, while the Manufacturer 
 and the writer took another plun.ue int.. the hot country. We. therefore, 
 left him lor a further exploration of the city, and .^ettm- up at day- 
 break, boarded the train and retrace.l our steps, slidin- slowly <lownward 
 
 RAILKOAIi ON THE WAY UP TO SAX JOSE. 
 
 for hours, until we reached the lower levels. The journey downward 
 was even slower than the climb, as the engineer must be on the lookout 
 constantlv for fallino- rocks and for landslides, and I fancy he is also 
 particularlv careful not to let the train get away from him. which, with 
 the number of cars and the heavv freight carried would seem to be 
 a not unlikely happening. We therefore enjoyed afresh the magnihcent 
 scenery, an.l' before we got down to the trojncs. the lovely, springlike 
 
 weather. 
 
 Reaching the i)lantation, we were warmly welcomed by the planter 
 in charge, who got us horses and took us over the planting. It was the 
 dry season and there had been no rain at all for five days, but the ground 
 
194 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANTING 
 
 NATIVE RUBBER TEN YEARS OLD SURROUNDED BY PLANTED RUBBER AND 
 CHOCOLATE. 
 
 was exceedingly soggy and wet, and while the bananas were apparently 
 very thrifty, the rubber did not look as well as it should. The leaves, to 
 be sure, were shedding, which made the trees look their worst, but the 
 few trees that we tapped gave out an exceedingly thin milk, more like 
 skimmed milk than cream, containing, for a guess, not over twenty per 
 cent, of rubber. It is possible, of course, that at the end of the dry season 
 this might thicken up apprecial)ly and be worth extracting, but unless 
 that happened, they would hardly ])ay to tap. 
 
 TYl'ICAL LOWLAND TOWN. 
 
IN C0S7\! KICA 
 
 1V5 
 
 In this CDniK'Otidii. a chat that I luul with Mr. loliii M. Keith, the 
 former ])Iaiitiiii;- expert of the L'nited h'ruit (,m.. is a])r i])()S. lie saiil 
 frankl\- that in that jjart of C'(»sta i\ica he did nut tliink there was much 
 land that was availal)le for Ldsliiloa i^rowin^ ; that it was too wet; and 
 that he had discovered that wild Cnstilloeis that i;rew in wet ])laces gave 
 so thin a hitrx that the rnhher was not worth j^atheriny;. My friend, 
 the ])lanter, had, while I was in Xew Vork, told me of another type 
 of ])lantini;- that he had done, 1)\- clearing- wide pathwa\s through the 
 forest and j)lantinj;- Castillcas so thickly that they took entire possession 
 of the oround. With some little tniuhle we finally located two of these 
 ])lantin<,;s, and thev settled in nu' mind forever the ])ractical)ilit\- of this 
 
 KUiniEK AND I'.ANAXAS. 
 
 sort of cultivation. The Castilloas had grown like weeds, Imt they 
 looked more like fishpoles than rubber trees. Liy cutting out some of 
 tliem and giving the sun a chance, no doubt something could be done, 
 but unless some such measures were instituted, it would be years before 
 the tree trunks would have bark surface enough to do anything at all. '' 
 That the trouble with the first planting was not due to the presence 
 of the bananas was proved bv a look we had at a small plantation run 
 by a German, where the ground was much l)etter drained, and where 
 the trees looked stocky and thrifty. W'e were also told that on the 
 Northern Railway on some of the uplands, the planters were putting 
 
196 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANT IX G 
 
 CastiUoa in land that luul fornierl_\- been n.'-ed for Ijananas and were 
 getting excellent results. 
 
 All of this leads up to what I think I have before written, that a 
 deep, open soil, particularly one that cakes at the surface a little and in 
 which there is no chance for standing water, or nothing more than a 
 ver_\- brief inundation, is what the CastiUoa calls for. 
 
 The interest in the planting of India-rubber in Costa Rica dates 
 back some twelve or fifteen years. As earlv as 1892 it was reported 
 that the wild trees near the cities and along the cnast had bcL-n practicalh' 
 exhausted, and that what rubber was gathered came from the more 
 remote valleys. In that year the amount of rul)ber that came out of the 
 countr^• was a trifle over six thousand dollars worth, less than half the 
 
 RUIlliKK AND COL'.NO ALTERNATI N(;, SilOWIXtl METHOD OF CLEAXIXC. 
 
 amount shi])])cd the ])rece(ling year. It w:is about this time that the 
 government began to take an interest in the cultivation of rubl)er and 
 passed laws against tapping the wild trees, and also ofTered ]M-izes — one 
 for eight thousand dollars and another for five thous:uid dillars — for 
 the best ])lantations of CastiUoa rubber. TJoth of these prizes were taken 
 in 1H94 by !Minor C. Keith, who installed two ])lantations near Port 
 Limon. the trees, some twenty-five thousand in mimber, being planted with 
 bananas ;in(l about one hundred and fift\- rubber trees to the acre. At 
 the time ihc jjrizes were awarded the trees were said to be eight or nine 
 years old. When the writer visited Costa Rica, no record of them 
 could be found, although they should have been somewhere about twentx" 
 years old. and certainly big enonoh to tap. The gossi])s of the countr\- 
 
IN COSTA KICA 
 
 197 
 
 appear to believe thai sn nuich Mn.ekcr i,r.>tU ean.e to llu' planter ihrou-b 
 ],ananas that the nihhvr plantations were sacrihce.l to that nidustry. 
 
 l.-nnu 1900 onward, (puto a nunihrr of companies were nicorpurate.l 
 f.,, uu. planting- of Casluha. A planter named VA. Coles furnished m 
 ,.^o> a l.M nf eleven planters who had pnt n, rnhher. all the way from 
 ten to one hnndred acre^. Some of these plantations, it they had been 
 continued wonld have trees that shouhl be at the present time producers 
 
 
 1 
 
 ^ - I 
 
 iP Kri!n::K fkom wii.d trees 
 
 of rubber. The questioning of either natives or foreigners on the ground 
 elicited very little information; about all they seemed to know or care 
 about was bananas. From an American planter, however, we learned 
 that Alessrs. Hoffenstadt and Gillet, of Banco de la China, have a planta- 
 tion, where thev lately tapped six hundred CastiUoas which were six or 
 seven vears old, getting a pound of rul)ber from each tree. 
 
 The correspondent also mentioned an American family named Hogan 
 who were planting rubber at the mouth of the Tres Amigos River, which 
 was the beginning of the Costa Rica Development Co., with headquarters 
 at Los \ngeles, California. The officers of this compan> made arrange- 
 ments for us to visit their plantation, but that meant a call at Creytown. 
 Nicarao-ua to reach the Tres Amigos River, but we found that to be 
 impossiiile This companv have twenty-t^ve thousand trees, a little over 
 three vears old, and ab.nit fifteen thousand two years old. which from 
 the photographs that we secured appear to be in a most excellent con- 
 
 '""in this connecti.m it is interesting to note the activity of Mr. Th. 
 F Koschnev, ati old time settler on the San Carlos River, and o,.e wh<. 
 
198 A GLIMPSE OF RUBBER PLANTLXG 
 
 has studied the Castiiloa carefully. While not a botanist in the strictest 
 sense of the term, his description of the varities of the Castiiloa is of 
 distinct value. He divides the Castiiloa of Costa Rica into four species, 
 the white, the black, the red, and the "tunu," the first three being all 
 varieties of the Castiiloa clastica. Botanists so far have not followed his 
 discrimination carefully, and it is a question if rubber planters have made 
 any distinction, nor has it been proved necessary. Of course, it would 
 not pay planters to raise "tunu"' gum instead of Panama rubber, but so 
 far as we know, no such ])lanting has ever been done in Costa Rica, or, 
 indeed, anvwhere else. 
 
EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA 
 RUBBER IN PANAMA 
 
FIRST LETTER. 
 
 pmvv Sf x^ox-Fortune Islaxd-Colox-Along the Pan- 
 To Panama -^ -''- /^ "^^tv i hT ^lmiraxte-Tobooa Islan.-Queer Fish- 
 .MA Cana.-Pan^-. Cm-lHE A^^ ^^^^^^.^ Fears-Aumost 
 
 Sleeping in the Rain-Jhe Wuebro ..p,,,^.,^^" Comk^ Aboari)-Ash..ke 
 
 Wreckei-In the Lee of (.lUEKXAnoR- 1 he P.hneek Lome 
 
 AT Last. 
 
 T T wa. .k-n.lodlv against .ny l.c.ta- jn.lKnu.u thai I l..un.i myself 
 1 ,.„ ,.,„„■■ for- Central Anu.riea in May, .ne t„ reac the .n,.,n, 
 Repnl.He of Panan,a during the rainy season, and ^he the 
 velUnv fever mis>ht be too easy of acquisition. Nevertheless, ther I 
 V a assen<,er on the Allh„a, with .wo fellow adventurers, wlnle 
 Uii,: '"s waiting our arrna. in Pananta City. The explonng party 
 „ , . o four J,e -Prospector," a well known nnning engnteer the 
 ■S out,- then in Panama, getting together supphes, engagnrg gu.des 
 and chartering a schooner; the -Commodore.- and the wr.ter. ^ > 
 II w!s the :xanunat,on of sonK- eight hundred square mdes of wd.l 
 lands privatclv owned and long forgotten. 
 
 The vovage to Colon was uneventful, hu, enioyal.le. although 
 
 vvew warmer' each dav. and side awnmgs and wmd scoops tol.l of 
 
 as; reantess to the tropics. In due tin,e llird Island Roe was 
 
 .iohted where is a lighthouse, flagstaff, and tlnrtcen cocanut p., nts 
 
 : to'si^n of life on the <laz.zling white beaches. Later can,e -ortune 
 
 a K and stopping far off shore, the one white «sident came o ... 
 a iollv boat rowed bv a half dozen husky negroes, and S.ot Ins na L 
 \l h u.h the sea was as smooth as glass, of a wonderful, mdescr.baWe 
 W Hm^ the little cluster of houses in the distance. „, a sett.ng of 
 :-e 1 pahns w.th foregroun.l of snowwhite beaches, was .,nos 
 dutiful. Jhe heat was killing, an.l we were glad w en the steamer en 
 , all behind. Later the light on Cape -,, Cu ,a. «--,;-; 
 then came the boisterous and lonely Caribbean ^ecl. neaxN 
 ^™s w re soon frequent, and the heat during the <ia>; was nt.ense 
 ilt the nights, as the n,„on was full, were glorious. Fn,ally. on the 
 V of^lav. at eleven in the morning, we sighted the rugged coas 
 !:, CoLbia, shadowed by n.asses of deep clou.l. and not long after we 
 
 "■"■^'i;ho:^:-soon transferred to the train that crosses t'-_Is,,mn,s we 
 had a chance to see the building where twenty-tour I n.ted States 
 
202 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 marines stood off four hundred Colombian regulars ; to take in the 
 negro huts that cluster about the town in every swampy spot ; and to 
 size up the small, scraggy horses, the parrots, monkeys, and a good per- 
 centage of Colon's two thousand inhabitants. 
 
 The afternoon train scheduled to leave at 2.45 gets aw^ay promptly 
 at 3.30. Almost at once the journey is made interesting by the relics 
 of the French canal diggers, and such relics ! Trains of abandoned 
 cars, overgrown with vines, trees, and lusty weeds ; mountains of cor- 
 roding iron pipe, hundreds of tons of rusty rails, donkey engines, loco- 
 motives, dredges — all crumbling, rotting, sinking ant of sight in the 
 
 IN THE CANAL ZONE — RIVER VIEW. 
 
 slime, or covered h\ the rank swamp growths, b'urther on were huge 
 warehouses, said to be full of expensive machiner\-, and then the 
 chateaus of the French engineers, once trig and neat, nou tawdrA-. deso- 
 late, deserted. We saw the Chagres River, and \er\ harmless and 
 muddy it looked; oliserved Monkey Hill Cemetery, and wnndered why 
 the French engineers elected to live in a swamp an.d bc^ buried on a hill; 
 admired the fine work done in excavating the Cule])ra cut; took imte of 
 the t\-])es of jungle growth, and at six in tlie evening arri\-ed at the 
 city of Panama. We were met by the Scout, and at once taken to the 
 Hotel Grand Central. 
 
/.v r.ix.iM.i 203 
 
 llcrc was a deadly, sticky. <i])])rc'ssivi.' licat, with not a l)realli of 
 air stirrint;'. The hare hcdroonis were like ovens, and even the conj 
 of mos(juit() netting- that hutif^ over the bed was to the ima<i[inaton as 
 stiflinf^ as a blanket. It was too hot to think of sleep, so we wandered 
 about the city, interested, amused, and disgusted — interested bv the 
 quaint and ancient architecture, amused by the ])olice custom of blowing- 
 whistles in concert when the clocks struck the lujur. and disgusted b\- 
 the smells that man\- side streets developed. 
 
 The next morning- after cottee we went down to the water front, 
 where. l\in,i;- hi^h and dry on the beach, as the tide was out. was the 
 . liiiiiraulc, the si.\t\-ton schooner that was to take us to our destina- 
 tion. The crew of five nes^roes, headed b\- the mate, was slowlv s^etting 
 our outfit aboard, and at the same time chat^ino- the crews of nearbv 
 hoL; schooners that were unloadin<^- b\- pushinp^ their squealing freight 
 into the water to swim ashore as liest it could. 
 
 I'Vom here we went to Don Pal^lo's offices to discuss food, medi- 
 cines, hammocks, ammunition, clothing, etc., until it was time for noon 
 breakfast and the regulation siesta. Just a word about Don I'ablo. 
 ( )ne of the wealthy and progressive merchants of the new republic, he 
 not onl\- treated us with everv consideration, and purchased most of 
 our supplies, but it was due to his alert helpfulness that we were not 
 tied up in that torrid city for a week or more, instead of getting away 
 in three days. lUit to return to our story. The breakfast was not a 
 success from an epicurean standpoint, nor was the siesta, for it was 
 too hot to sleep. So, assembling in the foyer, we watched the vlrowsy 
 darkeys on the curbs opposite, and waited for the midday heat to pass. 
 After a time I was courageous enough to look at the thermometer and 
 it registered ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit, the air fairh' reeking with 
 humidity. Along in the afternoon I wrote some letters, but could get 
 no stamps, as the government had interdicted their sale at hotels, 
 because the tourists had been in the habit of l)u\ing them for curios, 
 instead of attaching them to letters as they should; at least that is what 
 the clerk said. 
 
 Finally, on the afternoon of the thirtl dav in Panama, all was read\-. 
 The Ahuirantc lay about a mile from shore. There is a twenty-foot 
 tide, so it is said, and the row to the schooner gave us a view of manv 
 cattle and hog boats, and a good idea of the water front of the quaint 
 citv that stands at the Pacific entrance of the canal. I have said that 
 the crew consisted of five, but neglected to mention the crew's cook. 
 Jungo, and also our own. Raphael. I had also forgotten the dozen live 
 
204 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLO A RUBBER 
 
 hens that were tied two and two, and wandered over the deck at will, 
 as well as Domingo, the leanest, dirtiest, tiniest tramp kitten that any 
 country ever saw. 
 
 Don Pahlo and Don Ramon, another friend, came out and saw us 
 off, and by seven o'clock we were sailing out of the harbor, headed for 
 Toboga Island, for ballast and fresh water. All trace of the deadly 
 heat ashore was gone, and the effects, a slight fever that all experienced, 
 (|uickly disappeared. \Mien darkness came, we slept on deck under the 
 stars, wrapped in blankets, and awoke in the morning to find the boat 
 at anchor just off the little town of Toboga. It was raining gentlv, Imt 
 
 CATllEIIRAL SOTAKE AND HOTEL (,KAX1J (EXTKAL, PANAMA t'lTV. 
 
 no one cared, and after coffee we went ashore to buv eggs, pineapples, 
 and bananas, and incidentally to get a shore breakfast. This was served 
 in a neat room by pretty Indian girls, and was the best meal we had 
 eaten for a week. 
 
 The town has aliout one hundred dwellings of bamboo, plastered' 
 with cow dung, and a small church. It is nestled at the foot of a high 
 ridge, cultivated almost to the top, while about the houses cluster cocoa- 
 nut palms, pawpaw and chicle trees. It is a very healthy place, as the 
 water is good and there are no mosc[uitoes. Late in the afternoon we 
 got away, but as the wind was light, we did little but drift. Then it 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 205 
 
 was thai \vc bewail to speculate- uixMi the !uiiiil)ci- <.t days it would take 
 tJ reach our destination, and to recall the tact tliat in these same waters 
 Cortez once lay becalmed t"..r seventy days. an<l at this season of the 
 
 year. too. 
 
 The next nK.rnin- we were still in sight of Toboga. and spent much 
 of the dav in ritle an<l revolver practice, the oulls on bits of driftwood 
 niakino- excellent targets. There was also the chance to size up lil 
 Capitan, a nervous, wiry, native Panamanian, and to discover the very 
 primitive ideas of cleanliness that our cook was possessed of. For 
 example, his plan for cleansing the tin coffee cups was to pour one 
 
 PART OF THE PANAMANIAN ARMY. 
 
 lialf full of water, rinse it around, pour the same water into another, 
 and so on until all were thus washed. He also had a barrel of "biltong" 
 or pickled beef for the crew, that was washed each day and hung on a 
 line to dry. It certainly was strong meat, and the smell of it att came 
 near making us all vegetarians. Slowly the boat drew on. the passengers 
 killing time as best they could, till finally Punta Malo came in sight. It 
 was a"t this time that our first use for the medicine chest occurred. The 
 Commodore rolled his sleeves high to the tropical sun. and in a tew 
 hours had a pair of the reddest, sorest arms that were ever seen. They 
 
2o6 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 gave out heat like base burners, and ached if one pointed at them, so 
 they were anointed with cooHng salves, hung in slings, and nearly 
 cured by the time he got ashore. 
 
 Thus we sailed and drifted, chiefly the latter, sleeping on deck 
 until driven into the little cabin by an unusually heavy shower, usually 
 to be driven out again by the heat, the bilge smell, and the ants, of 
 which latter we had our own private colony. After a time, we left 
 Panama Bay and felt the long swell of the Pacific. Then was sighted 
 Punta Moro Puercos (Cape The-Death-of-the-Pig ), and after that came 
 a coast— rugged, mountainous, with no harbors, and the mountains 
 shadowed by dense clouds, with all the evidences of continuous and heavy 
 tropical rainstorms. 
 
 After more drifting came Punta Mariato, which we rounded, and 
 turning due north, made for the Gulf of Monti jo, where the schooner 
 was to lie while the exploring party was ashore. Even after rounding 
 the cape, the wind still continued light, and progress came chiefly from 
 the impulse of the Pacific swell. 
 
 In these waters were many sharks, two of which carry a half dozen 
 bullets apiece that I pumped into them from a Remington repeater, 
 early one morning. Then. too. there was a water snake, Ciilcbra marina, 
 about three feet long, that was often in evidence, sometimes as many 
 as thirtv being seen in a day. We fished constantly, getting no bites, 
 but the crew were more fortunate and speared some fish of a kind new 
 to me. One, long and slim, resembling a mackerel, was of a beautiful 
 bronze tint, with a spike on its nose, and a back fin running from the 
 gills to the tail. Another was short, chunky, of a dingy blue color 
 spotted with white polka dots. The natives called the former the 
 "durado," but had no name for the latter. 
 
 Our drifting by the point did not last long, as the weather suddenly 
 changed and the wind became so squally that the captain put out to sea 
 lest he pile his vessel upon the inhospitalile shore. That night I tried to 
 sleep in the cabin but it was too disagreeable, so I put on a light rubber 
 coat and rubber boots and slept soundly on deck with the rain beating 
 in my face. It was so scorching hot in the daytime, that, when drifting, 
 a tarpaulin was rigged as a shield under which were swung the ham- 
 mocks, making quarters that were fairly comfortable. Some one called 
 it the "Touraine,"' because when it was half done it began to rain. 
 
 Soon the schooner was ofif the Ouebro, a part of the territorv said 
 to contain a large settlement of outlaws. These fugitives from justice 
 had heard of the approach of the Americanos and were rumored to be 
 
IX PANAMA 
 
 207 
 
 l)rc])arc(l to resist aii\- examination of that ])art of the land. If they 
 believed the stories t<'ld tlieni h\- tlie Indians, that tliey were to he- 
 enslaved and have nnnil>ers l)randed ninoii their furelieads. one can 
 searceh' blame them. 
 
 The 'iljjc'ctive point, however, was farther down the coast, so we 
 onlv saw tile mouth of the Ouel)ro River, with frowninjr mountains for 
 a l)acki;round. \'erv .Q:lad we were that the Ouebro was not then in our 
 itinerarw for that part of the countr_\- was black with thunder clouds, an<l 
 drenched with showers that bore a close resemblence to cloudl)ursts. 
 
 THE SCHOONER " ALMIRANTE. 
 
 Coasting along- still further, we descried the mouth of the Mariato 
 River, where the first landing was to be made. Here a fresh difficulty 
 arose. El Capitan feared the shore and would not go nearer than five 
 miles without a pilot. After a lurid conference, in Spanish, Portuguese, 
 and English, it was suggested that he circle the nearby island of Cebaco. 
 stop at Gubernador Island and borrow a pilot. And so it was decided, 
 and the start made just as night fell. 
 
 That night the air was heavy with moisture and had in it all of the 
 makings of an electrical storm of great violence, but aside from the 
 
2o8 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 St. Elmo"s fire that appeared at the masthead, nothing- happened. The 
 crew was much exercised about these strange IjaUs of Hght — it was 
 Malo with a capital Al to ah of them. No such superstition affected 
 our party, however, and when the morning came we laughed awav their 
 fears, and as the da_\- advanced they grew ashamed of the terrors of the 
 night. By noon the schooner was off Cebaco, which ends in a jagged 
 reef where rough water is to be found. As the wind was light and the 
 current strong, the Alininiutc was carried quite close to this danger 
 point, although both jibs and the fore and mainsail were drawing full. 
 the latter two being wing and wing. Just as we passed the reef, with no 
 warning at all, came a squall that was as near as possible to ending the 
 cruise in disaster. The AUnirautc heeled over until her rail was under, 
 and plunged forward like a race horse. El Capitan, at the tiller ropes, 
 screeched shrill orders, and the crew worked like demons to get the 
 flying jib and the foresail down. In the face of that wind it was no mean 
 job. as the sail was as rigid as iron, and it was not until a sailor climbed 
 the mast and pulled the hoops down, a few inches at a time, that it was 
 lowered. Even then it could not be tied up, but bellied far out into the 
 water. The same difficulty was experienced in reefing the mainsail. lUn 
 finally, after much labor, the schooner was in hand and driving out to 
 sea under jib and reefed mainsail. As the squall had now turned into 
 a hurricane that drove the warm spray from the wave tops into one's 
 face like hail, it looked as if we were likely to be driven far out of our 
 course. El Capitan therefore decided to try to come about and run 
 between Cebaco and Gubernador for shelter. Three times he tried and 
 each time missed. Then he prepared to jibe. The Auicricaiios, however, 
 would not have it, urging that either the rigging would part or the masts 
 be carried away by such a measure, and he finally gave it up. Then he 
 tried to come about again, and by lowering the jil) for a moment, and 
 raising it again, was successful ; the old tub came about and headed for 
 the haven. Then followed three hours of as rough sailing as I ever 
 expect to see. There was no particular danger, if everything held, but 
 the seas that pounded the side and often came aboard were big and 
 angry, and the wind fairly shrieked. Nothing happened except the part- 
 ing of a stay, and the partial collapse of the cook's galley, and by night- 
 fall anchor was dropped close under the shelter of Gubernador, in still 
 water, and the weary voyagers went to sleep to the roaring of the breakers 
 on the other side of the island. 
 
 Going ashore in the morning, we found that the island was owned 
 bv our friend, Don Pablo, and it was here that his pearl fishing schooners 
 
JX PANAMA 
 
 209 
 
 refittcfl. 'I'lic k'w inliahitanls wtTc Indian, and in looks, lial)its, and 
 manner ol' li\int;-. jnsl what onr finds from Mexico all the way clown to 
 till' Amazon. 'V\\v\ wrrr friend) \ and brought us pineapples that were 
 most delicious, and after much palaver, we secured a pilot. It was while 
 walking along the shore from one little settlement to another that the 
 .^cout, with whom I was, had an implcasant ex])erience. \\"e were 
 under a tree that looked for all the world in l)ark and leaf like a pear 
 tree, with a fruit that had the a])i)earance of a small apple. We each 
 picked half a dozen and the Scout hit into one, remarking that it tasted 
 
 ON THE r.EACH, GUIiERXADOR ISLAND. 
 
 like a sweet aijple. 1 used mine, however, to pelt the native 
 dogs that were following, and then both forgot the e])isode. 
 After the return to the schooner, however, while getting under 
 way. the Scout was taken suddenly ill, vomiting, retching, 
 and complaining that he felt as if he were on hre inside. We gave him 
 such simple remedies as w'ere obtainable, but it was hours before the 
 attack passed ofif. The natives said later that both tree and fruit, known 
 as the bitttr inansaiia, or arsenic apple, are intenseh- poisonous. A horse 
 
2IO 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 tied under the tree for a few hours becomes ver_\' ill and loses his hair, 
 while it is sure death for a man to eat one of the apples. 
 
 With the pilot aboard, we soon gained the gulf again, and ere 
 long were off the Palo Seco (the withered tree), where, if luck favored, 
 guides and mules were awaiting us. This time our captain ventured 
 within three miles of the shore and sure enough saw two men. A boat 
 was sent, and in course of time, night having fallen, a light appeared 
 dancing over the waves, and soon there stepped aboard the Pioneer, who 
 
 Jl'XCH), t()t)K L)X THK " Ai.M IKA NTE. 
 
 was to furnish guides and transports. He had been waiting nearly a 
 week, and would have left the next da\', believing that we had turned 
 back or been wrecked by one of the Pacific hurricanes. 
 
 The Pioneer had been in that country for many years and his 
 stories of rubber gathering up in the Cauca. and adventures in the Darien 
 with the fierce San Bias Indians, were most interesting. As is well 
 known, these savages do not allow trespassers u])nn their lands, although 
 they do not molest those who gather rubber in the wilds adjaceiat to 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 211 
 
 tlu'ir domain. The Pioneer acknowledged that once he broke an agree- 
 ment with a chief, stole across the river that marked his boundary, and 
 began work on the rich forbidden forest. As a result, his men were 
 shot down, one b\ one, until only he and one negro escaped. 
 
 Another time he was caught far up a river, by the dr\- season, and 
 had to wait for tlu- rains. When tliey finally came and he got his rubber 
 afloat, thev had for i)ro\-ision only rice and bananas, bdoating down the 
 river one evening in the bright moonlight. the\- came to a fine stretch 
 
 THE TOUK.MNE CANV.\S SHELTER OX THE .\LMIRAXTE. 
 
 of beach, and he at once ordered the canoe men to make camp there. 
 They refused with every evidence of extreme terror, as they said the 
 place was haunted. The Pioneer, tired and hungry, forced them to do 
 as he ordered, bv threatening them with his revolver. He soon had 
 supper and was quickly sound asleep under his mosquito netting. About 
 midnight, just as the moon was setting, he was awakened by a strange 
 and dreadful crv. Sitting up to call the crew, they suddenly threw 
 themselves upon him, held him down, and practically gagging him kept 
 
212 EXPLORIXG FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 him quiet until tlie screams ceased. Then they whispered that it was 
 death to speak aloud and returned to their sleeping places. The next 
 morning they explained that the screams came from the spirit of a 
 man who was murdered and buried with money on him, and if any 
 one had spoken the spirit would haye at once attacked and killed the 
 speaker. No whit impressed, the Pioneer searched the river bank, and 
 finally found a huge and ancient sloth, which he promptly killed. And 
 thus was the uneasy spirit laid, for the cries ceased from that time. 
 
 The rubber trees up there, so he said, were from two to three feet 
 in diameter, and most abundant bleeders. They always cut them down 
 to secure the rubber, as they get more that Ayay and know that if they 
 spared them the next crew of gatherers would destroy them. He said 
 that on the land we had come to examine, the rubber gatherers had 
 l:)een in the habit of cutting the trees down, but that two years before 
 the practice had been stopped, and a premium of twenty-fiye dollars 
 paid to any one who informed of such destruction. As the whole tract, 
 some five hundred thousand acres, was private property, and wild, and 
 as most of the Indians lived on the other side of the mountains, the 
 rubber was quite plentiful, and with a very little system, the crop could 
 be greatly augmented. 
 
 The next day was undertaken in good earnest the work of gettmg- 
 our stores and ourselves safely ashore. And no light task we found 
 it. The surf was tremendous and it was impossible, even with the skill- 
 ful management, to get to land without being drenched, the men being 
 landed in the ship's boat, the stores coming ashore in a dugout. 
 
 While the goods Avere being landed, the Scout and the Prospector 
 stripped and took a bath. Later they shuddered when they remembered 
 it, for the sharks that haunt that shore, coming far into the shallow 
 water, are big and voracious. In the meantime I was looking at the 
 forest. Much to my delight I found Cast ill on trees growing within one 
 hundred feet of the shore. Small ones to be sure, but thrift^-. One, 
 about three inches in diameter, had been tapped, and from the cuts I 
 stripped some good strong rubber. 
 
IN PANAMA 213 
 
 SFXOXD LETTER. 
 
 Cami' Rio Negro — Roughing It — Story of a Bridge — Castilloa Groves — 
 Birds, Animals and Reptiles — Cruz, the Hunter — Trips of Exploration — Chi- 
 QUiTA, the Commodore, and Mula Grande — Coagulating Rubber With Amole 
 Juice — Native Rubber Manufacture — Llanos — Don Ramon and Donna Maria 
 — A Treasure Hunt. 
 
 OUR plan at first, on coming ashore on the Azuero Peninsula, had 
 l)cen to cani]) right where we landed, but the "heng-hengs"' 
 (rodadors) were so troublesome that another spot had been 
 chosen, some eight miles inland, and having turned our belongings 
 over to the uioaos, we started on the trail for camp Rio Negro. The 
 Commodore led. because he had brought his shotgun and planned to 
 shoot something for supper. He made a gallant figure, striding along 
 the trail in rubber soled shoes, and had deer or turkey appeared, they 
 certainly would have dropped. But the game was wary, and the only 
 creature that dropped was the hunter himself, when he inadvertently 
 trod on a slimy log and sat down in a pool of water. 
 
 The trip took about three hours and led slightly \iphill all of the 
 way. The trail was fair, and ran through a sort of open forest, where 
 there were many huge trees, but not much of the dense jungle that is 
 so often to be found in the tropics. The soil was a gravelly loam, 
 with a clav underlay, and seemed to be rich, while the beds of the 
 brooks and creeks were of hard gravel and boulders. All along the 
 trail were Casfilloas, sometimes singly, and often in clumps. None of 
 them \\'ere over twelve inches in diameter, and most of them had been 
 tapped. Xow and then was one that had lieen felled a year or two 
 before, and frequentlv we saw stumps of what must once have been 
 fine, large rubber trees. 
 
 Eight miles is a long distance in the tropics, and though lightly 
 clad and walking slowl}-, we were soon very warm, and wet through 
 with perspiration. The Pioneer ventured the prediction that this was 
 the last long tramp upon which the Commodore would carrv an eight- 
 pound gun, and his prophecy came true. Even long journeys end, 
 however, and after fording the Palo Seco, and a little later, the Xegro 
 River, we emerged into a fine grove of Casfilloas, and fronting it, a palm 
 thatched house that was to be our base of operations for many days. 
 An hour later the mules arrived with the navv bags, and within fifteen 
 
214 
 
 EXPLORIXG FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 minutes we were in dry clothing, had hammocks shmg, and were 
 ravenously watching the cook prepare supper of jerked venison, hacon, 
 dago bread, and coffee. Later he made delicious chocolate, using con- 
 densed milk, and serving it in calabashes. Just here — the supper and its 
 preparation suggests it — let me say that the little camping stove was 
 all right, but three stones between which the fire was built were just 
 as good. W'hile a candle box made a fine molding board. So. too, with 
 the hip boots of rubber — they kept us dry a couple of times in fording 
 creeks, but it was so much easier to slop right through and dry out on 
 
 PANAMANIANS. 
 
 the march that we didn't bother with them after the first day or two. 
 It was lucky, however, that there were ample stores of rice and salt, 
 for the natives had neglected to clear and plant during the dry season 
 just ])receding our visit, and the whole countryside was on the verge 
 of starvation. Not that they worried about it particularly ; they simply 
 ate what the\- could get. and contentedly waited for the next dr\- season 
 to come around. 
 
 Our first night in camp ])art of us slept in haiumocks and part on 
 
/;V PANAMA 
 
 215 
 
 a platforni of poles, under which ihe /;/".:^'.s- crept wlieii the evenin.L;- rain 
 came "11. 'ihe Pioneer kei)t a lantern hurnin,';, as he said it scared away 
 the vanii)ire hats. It did not frighten the insects, however, for the morn- 
 ing lioht showed four white men well speckled with red spots. Just 
 what tJie insect was could not he discovered, hut it was most industrious. 
 I counted tifty-seven well defined l)ites hetween knee and ankle, and 
 there were otliers. I alsc discovered how to scratch these hites and 
 sut^'er no ill effects, and Oh! the joy of such scratching ! The remedy 
 was a five per cent, solution of formine api)lied to the surface after an 
 orgy of scratching. In two hours after the application, all the poison 
 either from hite or finger nails wholly disappeared. It heing Sunday, our 
 
 C.\MP RIO NEGRO. 
 
 iuo::os piouslv refrained from work, but in spite of their scruples, they 
 were induced to huild a shelter for themselves, which they finally did, 
 getting the roof on just before the afternoon downpour of ram. 
 
 In speaking of the lack of enterprise that the natives show, it must 
 not for a moment be imagined that they are behind the times in every- 
 thing. In the utilization of public money, for example, they could give 
 Tammanv Hall points of value. To cite an instance: The home gov 
 ernment 'at Panama City appropriated three thousand dollars tor the 
 building of a bridge <wer a river that flowed near a certain town. 
 ' Shortly after that cme of the holders of the fund approached the Pioneer 
 and asked for an estimate as to the cost of putting up the l^ridge. remark- 
 
2i6 EXPLORIXG FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 ino' that he had two thousand dollars for it. The Pioneer offered to 
 do it for that sum. hut the next mornino-, when the papers were to be 
 drawn, there remained only fifteen hundred dollars. Then the trustee 
 proposed that a seven hundred and fifty dollar iM-id^e be built, and 
 that he and the Pioneer divide seven hundred and fifty dollars. It took 
 some trading- to arrange that, and Ijefore it was finished there was left 
 but six hundred dollars. Then apparently all of the officials got a slice, 
 for two days later there was but ten dollars left. Nor has the bridge 
 ever beeii built, Ijut there is still an excellent ford, which appears to 
 suit the people just as well. Thus it will be seen that they ecjual us in 
 the distribution of government appropriations, and outclass us in some 
 forms of piety. One of our rulilxM" cutters, for example, bore the name 
 of Jesus ]\Iaria Dios — but he did not look the part. 
 
 During the forenoon I looked over the grove of Caslilloas that 
 fronted the house, and found that most of them had been tapped that 
 season. Indeed, one of our mozos said that they had been tapped twice. 
 The process of tapping here is quite different from that pictured by 
 most W'ho tell of the gathering of Panama rubber. They usually describe 
 a series of zigzag cuts, running one into another from the base of the tree 
 far up the trunk. Plere each cut was individual, and made with two 
 strokes, one horizontal, and the other slightly downward and joining 
 the first so that a small slice of bark was taken out. In the lower part 
 of the cut the thick latex gathers and is scraped into a calabash with the 
 fingers. The trees, as a rule, were tapped as high as the native could 
 reach, and frequently a rustic ladder or a rough staging enal)led the 
 gatherers to get higher up on the tree. 
 
 It seems that the plot of trees at Rio Negro were not self sown, 
 but were planted by the Indian in his rice field after the crop was gath- 
 ered. There were one hiuidred and five trees on about an eighth of an 
 acre of land, said to l)e four years old. The rest of the clearing had 
 grown up to jungle, l)ut where the rubber trees were it was quite clear 
 and the trees big and lusty. Their condition made me wonder if the 
 cleaning that is carried on bv u])-to-date planters is after all so nnich of 
 a necessit}' as they believe. 
 
 Although it was Sunday, all went in swimming in the swift Kio 
 Negro, and all also went fishing (with a stick of dynamite) but only 
 got one. The swimming was not prolonged, however, because of the 
 rodadors, that were quite troublesome. While in the water a band of 
 brown faced monkeys expressed their disapproval of our Sabbath break- 
 ing Ijv throwing sticks and branches at us from the tops of the lofty 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 217 
 
2i8 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 trees that hung far over the water. Speaking of the animals, there 
 were deer, wild pigs, tapir, tiger cats, and jaguars, hut they were rarely 
 seen. Evidences of them were plenty, however. Once when we visited 
 the llanos (grass plains), we saw where a jaguar had killed a two-year- 
 old colt. For lairds, there were innumerable humming birds, a great 
 varietv of song birds, hawks, parrots, buzzards, cranes, grouse, doves, 
 two kinds of wild turkeys, and the justly named "fire cracker bird." We 
 saw no snakes, but iguanas and lizards were common. 
 
 The Indians think every kind of snake, and even lizards and tree 
 frogs, poisonous. Thev have, however, what they assert is a sure cure 
 for the bites of poisonous reptiles. After l?,eing bitten, if the sufferer 
 will shut his eyes, reach behind, and select three leaves (any kind will 
 do), quicklv rub them together, and apply to the bitten part, a cure 
 always results. 
 
 Our helpers were in part Indians, descendants of the Aztecs, and 
 in part negroes from the Cauca. ( )f the former was Indolencia. whose 
 strange, complaining "monkey call" could be heard for miles. He 
 always kept it up when alone in the woods, even if only a few hundred 
 yards from camp. Of the latter was Cruz, a tall, loose jointed darkey, 
 freshlv pitted by smallpox. He was the hunter, and was equipped with 
 a muzzle loading "gaspipe" gun with a percussion lock. It was worth 
 going miles to see him flush a turkey, locate the tree in which it alighted, 
 steal within range, and then snap cap after cap, until finally the gun 
 went off and the turkey dropped, oftentimes getting away even then. 
 
 As it would be impossible to examine carefully the whole of the 
 eight hundred square miles in the month allotted to it, we first got the 
 general lay of the land, then laid out trips through typical sections, 
 estimated their areas, and computed the number of trees. From Rio 
 Negro camp ( about two hundred and fifty feet above sea level ) trails 
 were cut north, south, east, and west. Then came long, hard tramps, 
 counting and measuring trees in typical blocks, and nuich questioning of 
 native rubber cutters for a fair estimate of the conditions that obtained 
 elsewhere. One fact soon impressed itself upon me. The Castilloa was 
 certainly better adapted to flourish there than any other of the native 
 trees. In spite of the war of extermination that had been previously 
 waged against it, it was more abundant than any other single tree. It 
 often happened that a group of from forty to fifty could be counted from 
 the trail, and it was a rare experience to go twenty-five feet in the lower 
 forest without seeing at least one tree. While many of them were lofty, 
 few were more than eight or ten inches in diameter. The very largest 
 
/.v r.ix.iM.i 
 
 219 
 
 tree tliat I saw, far up in a sccKkIccI uKjuntain valley, was not over 
 twenty-two inches in <liainrter. 'i"he natives could always ])ick those that 
 are the best milkers. As a rule, these trees had a larger leaf area than 
 the others, which accounts. 1 think, for the extra flow of latex. Those 
 in the dense forest seemed to liear few seeds, while on the edges of the 
 trails or in open places they were abundant seed bearers. There seemed 
 to be no leaf or bark diseases, and even trees that had been mutilated 
 the worst 1)\- tlie rul)l)er gatherers seemed to be sound and health \-. 
 
 INTERIOR OF CAMP KIO NEGRO. 
 
 Exploration was, of course, greatly hindered by the heavy rains 
 that came nearly every afternoon, and sometimes in the morning as 
 well. These swelled the rivers so that fording was difTficult, and turned 
 the steeper trails into muddy torrents. The shacks of Indians who 
 were collecting rubber were often visited, and deserted camps alwavs 
 examined. A camp usually consisted of a palm thatched leanto, just 
 big enough for two men to sleep in, on a narrow pole-covered bench. 
 
A 
 
 220 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLO A RUBBER 
 
 In one corner was a hole in the ground about two feet deep and eighteen 
 inches in diameter, to receive the rubber milk, and in which it was later 
 coagulated. Three stones as big as a man's head formed the fireplace, 
 with a bunch of dry sticks for fuel; calabashes for gathering, the machete 
 for tapping, and the amole vine for coagulating, finish the tale of the 
 rubber gatherers' equipment. 
 
 Although camp Rio Negro was headquarters, we were often obliged 
 to make other camps for a few days. For example, when examining 
 the upper valleys one thousand feet above sea level, a rubber gatherer's 
 shack was our home for three days. Two things in particular were noted 
 on this trip. The rubber tree rarely grew on the tops of the "hog backs" 
 or ridges, but on the sides, and in the valleys. Nor did it grow in 
 wet lands at all. Then the seeding of the tree at that altitude was about 
 a month later than on lands from fift}^ to three hundred feet above the 
 sea. 
 
 There was nnich less game in the upper country, and, Aveary of 
 tinned meats, it was not surprising that we tried and enjoyed parrot 
 stew, or that the monkeys should have been turned into rabbit stew — 
 not big, black, twenty-five-pound monkeys, of which we shot several, 
 but the little brown-faced edible monkeys. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that all work was done on foot. Wherever 
 it was feasible either horses or mules were used, and l)y following the 
 ancient Indian trails we were able to save ourselves much time and toil. 
 The horses were small, gentle stallions and quite surefooted. I said 
 gentle, and so they were toward all of human kind, but when turned 
 out to browse there were some very pretty stallion fights, with no harm 
 done, however. The mules were small, but strong, and made much 
 trouble because thev knew of the grass plains some miles distant, and 
 were in the habit of stealing away at night and making for them. As 
 the trails in some places were very steep, I chose a little mule called 
 Chiquita, and she proved to be a treasure. She could ford a swift run- 
 ning river and keep her feet, while the others were stuml)ling and half 
 swimming. I verilv believe she could climb a greased pole or slide down 
 a log chute and never miss her footing, if she so elected. The Scout, 
 the Pioneer, and the Prospector rode horses, while the Commodore, 
 who was a trifle over two Inmdred in weight, took the inula gnvide or 
 big mule. 
 
 Speaking of the Commodore's mount, T thought he would have 
 trouble, for that particular mule demanded the same treatment that the 
 other mules received. I saw him watch me when T leaned forward in 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 221 
 
 the saddle and eased C'liiquila nj) a sharp rise I)y twislint;- my fingers 
 in her mane. Tlie CUmmodore, however, hy reason of Iiis stoutness, 
 couhl not easily do this, and so sat up. The hig mule grew sullen, and 
 finalh", as we forded the Mariato, and climhed its steep, clayev jjanks, 
 he suddenl}- sto])ped half way up, shook himself and began to tip 
 slowly over haekwards. ( )f course the Commodore slid off over his 
 tail, and sat in the river, and an instant later was holding the big mule 
 
 
 INDIAN TAPPING A CASTILLOA. 
 
 in his lap. I ought not to have laughed, nor should I. had not Chiquita 
 turned around and winked at me. 
 
 I had long wished to see how^ the Indians coagulated the latex of 
 the Casfilloa by the addition of the juice of the amole vine, and now had 
 the opportunity, not once, but many times. Usually the coagulation 
 is done in a hole in the ground ; if, however, they are very careful, and 
 are possessed of an axe. they cut a trough out of a "balsa" log and use 
 that. When there is sufficient milk for coagulation, a bunch of vines is 
 gathered, folded together, and pounded on a log with a heavy billet 
 
222 EXPLORJXG FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 of wood until all of the fibers are well bruised. The mass is then rinsed 
 in water, the fiuid Ijeing- run through a sieve, and poured into the 
 trough. Extreme care is taken not to stir the latex. Instead, as it 
 begins at once to coagulate on the top, the rubber is gently pressed 
 down, gathering to itself other particles, and at the same time it is 
 forced towards one side of the receptacle. Thus by gentl\- manipulating, 
 squeezing, and handling, most of the coagulated rubber is finally gath- 
 ered into one piece, which is lifted out and kneaded until much of the 
 water is out of it. Some more amole water is then poured into the 
 remaining liquid, and by the same sort of careful manipulation another 
 smaller slab of rubber is secured. The two are then stuck together. 
 A week later the milk white mass of rubber will be jet black, of about 
 half its first weight, and apparently as dry as a bone. Unless it is cut 
 into strips and washed and dried again, and all of the amole liquor got 
 rid of. it will sweat and deteriorate, and have a smell that makes it most 
 oiTensive. 
 
 The machete is used altogether for tapping by the natives in Cen- 
 tral America. Just l\v way of experiment I tried two dift'erent tools 
 that I brought with me from Xew York. One was a sort of farrier's 
 knife, that did prett}" well, but was not heavy enough; the other was 
 the type of tool that is now in general use in Ceylon. While it was 
 possil)le to tap with this latter tool, it did not do for the Castilloa as 
 well as for the Hei'ea. The strong fiber in the bark, unless the tool be 
 as sharp as a razor, makes the incision a tear rather than a clean cut. 
 It is possible that the tool may be changed in shape slightly and do the 
 work, but in its present shape it is not as good as the machete. Speaking 
 of the fiber in the outer bark of the Castilloa. the natives used formerly, 
 when thev found a very large tree, to pound the bark until it was loose 
 then cut it ofif and dry it, and have a beautiful snow white sleeping 
 mat, as soft as wool, and looking for all the world as if it were the 
 product of a loom. 
 
 Here I must mention a rubber tapping tool invented bv a native 
 Panamanian whom I met, and who is not only a rubber gatherer but a 
 thinker. Although so many men have tried to evolve a satisfactory 
 tapping device for rubber trees, it is singular that the thought of a 
 would-be inventor in this line, almost invariably, turns first to some 
 sort of vacuum or suction arrangement, that will not onl\' act as a tapping 
 tool, Init pump the h.ite.v out of the tree. Of course, a little study of the 
 formation of the lactiferous tubes makes it evident that nothing of this 
 sort is feasible. The suggestion, however, has come from a great 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 223 
 
 variet} of sources, and in sonic cases from scientific men. So it was 
 intereslinj,'- to run across the same mental processes and the same sort 
 of dechiction among- the natives of the rul)1)er cf)untries. The illustration 
 (page 221 ) shows an instrument designed and made In the native referred 
 to. a man named juancho. who is shown in antjther illustration standing 
 in a grove of Cast ill oa. The instrument consists of a cylinder of light 
 balsa wood, wound with codline. through which runs a i)iston made 
 of hard wood, one end tip])ed with a short iron chisel. The chisel end of 
 the cvlinder is fitted with a strip of pure rubber, a i)acking to be drawn 
 tightly around the tree. The puncture made and the piston withdrawn, 
 the hope was that the cylinder would fill with latex. That expectati(jn, 
 however, was ])laste(l as only the usual amount of latex followed the cut. 
 
 RUEUF.K CUTTERS AT RIO XECIRC) CAilP. 
 
 Two of the long trips across country brought us out at the llanos. 
 or grass plains — prairies containing some 25.000 acres, on which grazed 
 some one hundred and fifty head of cattle of the old Spanish strain, but 
 big and fat for all of that. They were not at all wild, yet to milk a 
 cow it was necessary to muzzle her calf and tie it to her front legs, and 
 then she seemed to feel that her offspring was getting the leche that 
 really flowed into a calabash. In a little oasis of trees in this prairie 
 of rich, short grass, was a neat native house in which lived the keeper 
 of the herd and his wife. Thin, almost to emaciation, was Don Ramon, 
 gray haired, with the sparse beard of the true Indian, clad in white; 
 
224 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 he was the only energetic native that I saw on the peninsula. Donna 
 Mafia, his spouse, short, fat, and comely, in calico dress and hlouse, 
 barefooted, with a man's hat on her head, her own pipe in her mouth, 
 surrounded by hens and dogs, cooked in a placid way that was most 
 picturesque and restful. We slept at their house one night, but on the 
 second visit signalled the schooner and went aboard to sleep, awav from 
 the various insects that always infest a cattle ranch. 
 
 It was during a visit to the llanos that we nearly lost the Prospector. 
 It came about this way : From the time of the Spaniards the country 
 has been known as a gold producer. Indeed, every brook and river 
 showed traces of "color," while traditions of lost mines and their fabu- 
 lous riches were everywhere rife. As we were not after gold, but 
 rubber, the lost mines, or the sunken treasure ship at the mouth of the 
 
 ^H 
 
 msmk^.jmmm-' 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 d 
 
 1^^^^^ 
 ^^p^ 
 
 m^ 
 
 •^^B 
 
 COAGULATING RUI'.IIEK IN BALSA LOLI. 
 
 Mariato, troubled us not at all. That is, not until the Miner came across 
 the mountains, and rode into our camp with a true Western yell. He 
 was a raw boned, good humored, shrewd Irish-American, who had 
 been in every mining camp in North America, and who was now devel- 
 oping the Gallo (Golden Cock) mine. He and the Prospector got 
 together at once and the air was full of "aiidcsitc." "quartz," and "por- 
 phory." Then they got to whispering and later parted. It was at the 
 llanos that it all came to a head, for it was there that the Prospector 
 began furtively to study a small diagram, and later stole awav accom- 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 22.=; 
 
 panied bv an Indian whom lir had hypnotized hy the oift of a real. 
 They took a bee hne for the sliore, forded the Mariato, and on a little 
 island that is half covered by the tide, hunted up a certain tree, strode 
 away so many paces by compass, and started to di.i;-. 
 
 It was exciting- to see how eat;erly they plied pick and shovel, 
 and how thev started with joy when the pick struck a tree root. And 
 they dug- and du- until they suddenly awoke to the fact that they were 
 cut off Irom the main land by the tide. Then the ln<lian went all to 
 pieces and wept and called u])on the saints, while the L'rospector uttered 
 words unfit tor i^ublication. There was no danger unless an alligator 
 
 JCANCHO IN c;KUVE OF CASTILLOA PLANTED LV INDIANS. 
 
 or a jaguar got them, and as there was no boat the best thing would 
 have been to\vait for the ebb. Instead of that, they went further mto 
 the thicket, and a few minutes later appeared, each with a pole, and 
 stepping into the swiftly running water started to cross. \'ery slowly, 
 bracing themselves at every step, they waded, the water up to their 
 breasts, and finally emerged into the shallows and were ashore. Neither 
 of them went l^ack. and thus ended our only treasure hunt. 
 
 The -gusano del monte." or grub fly, was quite in evidence at the 
 llanos. I o-ot three, the scout seven, and the rest their share— j"st how 
 
226 EXPLORIXG FOR CASTILLO A RUBBER 
 
 many I have forgotten. But I have not forgotten the sharp twinge, hke 
 a red hot needle, that tells of the presence of the grub in one's flesh, 
 or the killing of it with nicotine, the heating of the spot by a firebrand, 
 and then the desperate squeeze that shoots the inch-long intruder out 
 into the open. 
 
 I also learned here why it was that so many of the natives have 
 sore feet, about half of our men l)eing then laid off. A disease which 
 they call the "•massamora,"" something like chilblains, attacks them, the 
 cause being a minute insect that is found in stagnant water or decaying 
 vegetation. Unless cared for, the feet swell dreadfully and the skin 
 cracks and festers, making most troublesome sores. 
 
 CRUZ, THE HUNTER, WITH WILD TURKEY. 
 
 One of the worst rains came on while we were at llanos, but all 
 were under cover — that is, all except the Prospector and the Scout, who 
 came in drenched and cross because the rest were drv and feastine on 
 mangos and bananas. While it rained Donna Maria was approached 
 with the proposal that she get the Indian woman who lived near to do 
 some washing. She got the woman to come over, but as it was a "fiesta" 
 (St. Peter's Day), she had religious scruples against working. Nor 
 could she work the next day, she explained, as that was the fiesta of 
 St. Paul. All of which was solemnly repeated by Elias Ojo. I have 
 not mentioned him before, but he deserves it. He was a boy about 
 fourteen, liunchl)acked, withered, with enormous black eves, and treated 
 
IN PAX. I.] /.I 
 
 227 
 
 1)\- all llic natix'cs as a nmsl distin^uislu'd j^ucst. Iiis condition hcint^ due 
 to the fact that wlicn lie was xouni;- "a witch looked at him." LookiniL;- 
 at him in turn one wondered what result that look had u])on the witch. 
 
 W hat with hea\\- rains that made the trails had and the rivers 
 inipassal)le tor a hall da\ at a time, the laziness of the natives, and 
 their habit of disai)i)earino to attend far away fiestas, not to speak of the 
 wav tile mules liad of hidinj;- in the l)rush when they were most needed, 
 we were not s^ettinL; ahead as fast as could he wished. So the 1 'ros- 
 pector and the Miner, with Juancho, tlio best wocjdsman on the jienin- 
 sula, took the schooner to the Ouebro to arranije for trail cutters, or, 
 better still, canoes and men to take us up that unknown river. In tlie 
 meantime, the rest of us went on with the work of exploration. .\ few 
 days later the Ouebro expedition returned and rejxirted no canoes, no 
 men, and no chance of getting- through until the dr\- season, as the rains 
 were far worse than where we were. 
 
 It was during- the absence of the ])arty named that the rest of us 
 went far up in the mountain valleys where no white man. even in the 
 time of the Spaniards, had I)cen, and preemj^ting an old rubl)er cutter's 
 shack, we established ourselves in Camj) Iguana. We were able to 
 make the journey most of the way on mule back as an ancient Indian 
 trail passed close to it. The barometer read one thousand feet elevation, 
 but the Casfilloa was just as plentiful as on the lower lands, and indeed, 
 here were the largest trees. I found also a species of Ficits that pro- 
 dticed a verv good (|ualit\- of rubber, liut was not plentiful enough to 
 have commercial value. 
 
 Our partv consisted of the Pioneer, the Scout, the Commodore, the 
 writer, three Indians, with one pack mule, besides those we rode. As 
 there was no feed the mules were sent back to Rio Negro as soon as they 
 were relieved of their burdens. The ride to Tg^uana. although rough in 
 places was delightful. 
 
 TU.ANCHO S RUBBER T.\PP1XG TOOL. 
 
228 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 Camp Iguana — Close Quarters— Provisions Low— Lucas Cruz— The Forest 
 Primeval — Bees and Rubber — The Natives' Horror of Gold— A Land Without 
 Law — Breaking Camp — Mountain Climbing — At Las Minas— The Plantation 
 "Las Marghartias"— Fourth of July Fiesta— On Board the Quartos Hermanos 
 Panama, Colon, and New York. 
 
 THE ride to Iguana, as I was saying when ni}- last letter came to 
 a close, was delightful. Part of the way lay through dense 
 forest, where some of the trees measured from ten to twelve 
 feet in diameter, then perhaps it was through an abandoned Indian farm, 
 grown up to jungle, but still producing mangoes, bananas, and alligator 
 pears; by climbing hills that seemed to go straight up in the air, and 
 sliding down others that were even straighter ; frightening big iguanas 
 and little lizards; stepping gingerly over six-inch-wide columns of leaf 
 carrying ants; always on the lookout for wild pigs, deer, or turkeys to 
 replenish our larder; we proceeded, the whole journev full of variety 
 and incident. The hut at Iguana, with a little repairing, gave us l)arely 
 room to stretch out comfortably at night, and had any one man chosen 
 to stretch himself diagonally across the pole bed, there would have been 
 no room for the rest. The hut was open on three sides, was about nine 
 feet wide, seven feet high in front, and five feet in the rear, roofed with 
 palm, and had an earth floor. We used our navy bags as hold-alls 
 by day and pillows by night, and slept peacefully, except when our 
 feet went through the side of the hut. or a leak in the roof let in too much 
 water. 
 
 Our first meal there seemed the most delicious I had ever eaten. 
 It consisted of canned smoked beef (the edges of the slices were too 
 far spoiled to eat, but the middle was good), fried bread sweetened with 
 condensed milk, boiled rice, and coflfee. The meat was cooked over an 
 open fire and served on big, wild banana leaves. Nor shall I forget 
 the first night — the almost deafening chirping of the crickets and tree 
 frogs, the (jueer cries of the night birds, the steadv drip of the dew from 
 the trees like a slow rain, and the fireflies — how big and beautiful they 
 were, and how still the air was, so that the flame of the candle went 
 straight up with never a quiver. 
 
 To assist in the exploration of this part of the tract was Lucas Cruz, 
 an old ru])ber cutter, the builder of the hut in which we were installed. 
 
IN PAN AM. I 
 
 229 
 
 IJc luul conic iIrtc from across the nioutitaiiis twenty years l)efore, with 
 his father and five lirotliers, and liad taken out ruhl)er e\er since, selling 
 it to the traders all the \\a\ from twenty t<i forty cents a ])ound, silver. 
 His figures as to the ancient yield of the trees were rather indefinite. 
 At ])resent, however, as the trees were smaller than of yore, he ta])|)ed 
 
 NATIVE RUBBER CUTTER WITH MACHETE AND CALABASH. 
 
 about thirty in a day and got six to seven pounds of milk, or from three 
 to four pounds of (lr\- rul)ber. His system was to have a helper, one of 
 the twain tapping while the other collected the milk in a calabash. 
 
 L'nder his guidance we got out very early in the morning, exam- 
 ined the valleys and steep hillsides in various directions, and found the 
 
230 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RL'BBER 
 
 Castilloa growing everywhere, and many a stift' climl) Lucas gave us 
 before the choice growths were reached. Afterward he explained that 
 he took us onlv to the easy places, as from some where he went alone, 
 we would never have returned alive. Even up here I found stumps of 
 huge Castilloas that had been cut down to get all of the milk. The 
 largest trees then standing did not measure more than from sixteen 
 to eighteen inches in diameter, Init there were many of them, and 
 thousands of a lesser size. 
 
 Pressed later for a definite statement as to what he gathered daily 
 when ruliber hunting", Lucas said that two years before six of them 
 had. in this region, in seven days, gathered four hundred pounds of 
 drv rubljer. As thev never work Sundavs, that would mean six davs' 
 
 CATTLE RANCH AT THE LLANOS. 
 
 [Don Ramon in the Foreground.] 
 
 work, that is, unless they loafed three of them, which is probable. For 
 an experiment, we sent out four men late one morning, who were liack 
 by middav with fifteen and one-quarter pounds of milk that after coag- 
 ulation and drying made about eight pounds of rubber. As they nor- 
 mally get fifty cents a day, silver, equal to twenty-five cents, gold, that 
 was not a bad return. 
 
 It is due to the man who first told how bees collected rubber latex 
 as well as the rubber itself, from the cuts in the trees, that he receive 
 apologies of all skeptics, for the story is true. I saw hundreds in all 
 parts of the peninsula, and they not only love ruliber. Imt almost every- 
 thing else, and are a great nuisance in camp. What they do with the 
 
/.v r.i.wiM.i 
 
 -^3f 
 
 rul)l)(.T. wlu'lluT it |l;(.'Is iiUo C(niil) nr 1iiiih-\, I dd nit know, hut tlicv 
 certainl} wdrk most ciierL^cticalK- in ^atlu-rin^- it. 
 
 liy cnttini; ilnwn a few trees on the t(»]) ot' a Iol't\ ridqe near camp. 
 a tine view of tlie eonntry was <leveloi)e(h from tlie sonrce of the Mariato 
 River to the sea, {he //(iiins, the Stioy I\i\-er. and e\en the far a\\a\- i^vilf. 
 It was wonderful how Lucas could ])ick out the Casfllhia miles awav 
 from this eyrie, and without ajjparent mistake either. 
 
 After a few da\s at Iguana, we l)ep;an to look anxious] v for the 
 return of the mules, for food was getting- scarce, and worse than all, 
 the cotTee was nearly gone. Although signs of deer were ])!entiful. the 
 hunter could get none, and even ])arrots and monkevs were not in e\i- 
 
 SUGAR MILL NEAR LAS MINAS. 
 
 [On Las [NJargharitas Plantation. 
 
 dence. There was, to lie sure, a land crah that the Indians caught occa- 
 sionall}'. It was as big as a saucer, with a bright bhie body, red legs, 
 and eyes set on props an inch long. It was as giddv looking as a Chicago 
 ritnabout, and ajiparently about as edible. Just as we were tiring of rice 
 and weak coil'ee, the Pioneer mixed some boiled rice with condensed 
 milk, put it in a small pan on the fire, then laid a piece of tin over the 
 pan, and built another fire on that. An hour later we were feasting 
 upon as fine a rice pudding as ever was cooked. And at that time the 
 pack train appeared, and ere long we were on our way back to Rio 
 Negro camp. 
 
232 
 
 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 No incidents of special note occurred on the return trip. The 
 trails were so wet from recent rains that the manv humming birds, the 
 gorgeous butterflies, and the rich tropical flowers, were hardly noted. 
 The swarms of horseflies that swooped down upon our patient beasts 
 could not be wholly ignored, however, and soon all became most expert 
 in killing them. As usual, a stray, starving dog appeared from nowhere 
 and silently attached himself to our party. Although we knew he would 
 crawl under our hammocks at night to give his fleas an opportunitv to 
 emigrate to richer pastures, he was accepted without protest. He had 
 his virtues. Nothing could tempt him to steal, although starving, and 
 he would allow a wild pig to cut him to ribbons that the hunter might 
 get a shot, and he was after all the friend of man. 
 
 During this ride a strange thing happened : Cruz asked what the 
 
 Tuwx i;akekv at las mixa.s. 
 
 Americanos used the rubber for! It was the first time in the memory 
 of the Pioneer that any cholo (civilized Indian) liad ever shown the 
 slightest curiosity in that direction. I doubt if he appreciated some of 
 the uses described, ])ut the making of waterproof clothing caught his 
 fancy at once. For most of the Indians have a little bag made of cloth 
 and coated with rubber, mixed with gunpowder, if they can spare it, 
 to help the sun cure it. In this, or a purse made of iguana skin, they 
 carry flint and steel, a bit of cotton wicking with one end let into a bone 
 extinguisher, and tobacco for cigarettes. They are a quiet, anemic 
 race, very superstitious, and so fearful of spirits and tigrcs that if 
 overtaken by night in the forest, they climb trees, and tying themselves 
 to the limbs, remain until mornino-. Thev have a horror of <rold, not 
 
IN PANAMA 
 
 233 
 
 llic cdin, l)Ul ihc raw material, always (k'liyini;- all knowlcdj^^e of it, the 
 l^robablc reason beint;- thai the story of the cruelties of the Spanish gold 
 seekers are still in vooue among them. There are, all told, on the eight 
 hundred sc|uare miles of the Azuero lands, some four hundred souls. 
 On the other side of the mnniitain ranges, however, are large towns, 
 and many thousands of natives. 
 
 It took some time to appreciate that this was a land where ])rac- 
 ticallv no laws were operative. As the weeks passed and no word came 
 from the outer world, and we learned that the few letters despatched 
 to the faraway Panamanian postoffice would never reach their destina- 
 tion, we began to realize that this w^as indeed a forgotten corner of 
 the world. The natives are all good Catholics, and show their religious 
 
 THE CHURCH AT LAS MINAS. 
 
 fervor at many fiestas, by burning candles, exploding gunpowder, and 
 getting drunk. In this latter state they show much energy and put 
 up some spirited machete fights. If an Americano tries to patch up one 
 of the wounded, they ofifer no resistance, but as soon as the good Samari- 
 tan departs, they take off the bandages, plaster the wound with cow^ 
 dung, and if the victim dies lay his death at the door of the foreigner. 
 How well I remember the disgust of the scout w^ho wanted to extract 
 a bullet that was just under the skin in the neck of a mozo whom the 
 alcade had shot for some misdemeanor. 
 
 "\Miv it's onlv under the skin; it will almost roll out," he exclaimed 
 in Spanish. 
 
234 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 But they wduld nut allow the skin to 1k' cut, although thev did 
 prop the sufferer up. heels in the air and head to the ground, and 
 watched all night to see the hullet as it rolled out. 
 
 Of the thousands of shell mounds that contain the graves of their 
 ancestors, the natives know little, and cheerfully assist the despoiler 
 to open them and secure such relics or treasure as they may contain. 
 
 The women are quite pretty when young, particularly those who 
 hve in the mountains, and have a custom of filing their teeth so that the 
 points are as sharp as needles, said to he most becoming, from an Indian 
 point of view. The mountain men who are physically the best Indian 
 specimens, wear only a shirt and a pair of pants cut ofif at the knees, 
 and are known in the lowlands as the "short pants." 
 
 That night in Rio Negro camp it was really cold. The air was 
 damp, and it was raining heavily, although only a little came through 
 the roof. We were sitting about too grumpy to talk until the gray 
 mule took possession of the kitchen, and, in the mix-up that followed, 
 led us to forget our woes. Then the Prospector began to talk about 
 rubber plantations, and my conceit got a shock, for he told me of some 
 that I had never heard of. It was on Gorgonas Island, which lies off' 
 the coast of Colombia, owned by the fine old Spaniard, Don Ramon, 
 whom we met in Panama City, where are some five thousand cultivated 
 trees four and one-half years old. The Prospector feared that the 
 revolutionists from the main land might have destroyed some of them 
 in their periodic forays, but was not sure. Then the Pioneer took the 
 floor. He had formerly been manager for the Darien Gold Mining Co.. 
 and for them he cleared wide paths through the forest in which to plant 
 Castilloa trees. The planting was in part from seed, and in part of 
 young trees, for which he paid the natives five dollars a hundred, in silver. 
 This was in 1900, and there were some three hundred thousand trees 
 on land some miles from the coast, planted at an altitude of fifteen 
 hundred feet. Since leaving the company, his successor had planted 
 certainly as many more. 
 
 The trips that I have outlined are a few of many, long and short, 
 that taken as a whole gave me a knowledge of the lands as a whole. 
 The final journev was to be along the "hog backs" that extended 
 up to the mountains, then over them and down to the further shore, 
 whence the Ahnirantc had been despatched to meet and convey us to 
 Panama City. 
 
 First came the preparations, the most important of which was the 
 packing of the camera supplies. Considering the fact that the mule 
 
IN PAN AM,} 
 
 235 
 
 tliat ])'ivv lliis precious Idad always tL'll ilnwii when crossing a river, 
 and that the searching dampness of the atmosphere had l)een at work 
 at the tihns for man\ xweks, it is a wonder that aii}' pictures at all were 
 ohtained. Then came tlu' drying of clothinj:^ and a su])pl\- of bread. 
 The I'ioneer tried his hand at bread baking- alont;- the lines of his rice 
 j)uddino- triumph, but the resulting- solid cakes, scorched on the outside, 
 and dous^h within, could not be honestly termed the staff of life. By 
 splitting- o|)en and toasting them the\- were edible, and were eaten, all 
 but one, which I saved for a paper weight. 
 
 (Jn Sabado (Saturday) morning at 6. 30, we broke camp and 
 
 A,-*. 
 
 ^■f^ 
 
 FOURTH OF JLLV FIESTA AT LAS MINAS. 
 
 Started on what our guides claimed would l)e the hardest day's work 
 we had ever done, and it was. There was only one river to ford, the 
 Mariato, and Chiquita, knowing little beast, kept her feet, while the other 
 mules and horses were stumbling, plunging, and threatening to go 
 down stream with the swift current. Then began the steadv climb, 
 over a trail that was like the bed of a brook, through underbrush that 
 tried the pack mules sorely, often stopping them completely until freed 
 by the use of the iiiaclicfc. I had an army saddle on Chiquita and a 
 
236 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLO A RUBBER 
 
 rope bridle about ber nose, but tbe first could not be cincbed tight 
 enougb to stay on, and tbe latter was only a matter of form. Pull all 1 
 could, she went where she thought tbe trail was best, and in all fairness 
 I must say she was usually right. I do think, however, when she 
 insisted on crowding so close to a sharp stub pointing down the trail 
 that saddle and rider were both ripped off, instead of slipping her hind 
 legs out of tbe cinch and continuing on after the rest, she might have 
 waited. I certainl}- gave her to understand that I advised the other 
 side of the trail, and in response to my vigorous pull ber bead came round 
 until it almost touched my knee, but tbe obstinate little body went 
 straight on. 
 
 Some of the "hog backs" climbed were of tbe razorback variet}' — 
 just a narrow path along tbe spine of lofty ridges, forested on both 
 sides, and incredibly steep. The gray mule got in difficulties on one, lost 
 his balance, curled up and rolled over and over until stopped by a 
 big tree and a tangle of monkey vine. He lay at ease until relieved of 
 the pack, then struggled to his feet and climbed back to the path, not 
 in the least ruffled. 
 
 It must not be supposed that the trail went up all the time ; on the 
 contrary, 'it was a quarter of a mile up, then an eighth of a mile down, 
 and we rode sometimes lying flat on the beast's back, at others with feet 
 along tbe sides of the mule's neck and leaning as far backward as pos- 
 sible. Many a rod did Chiquita slide down clayey steeps, but not a mis- 
 step did she make through it all. We lunched by a brook in a deep 
 valley where the dense shade made twilight of high noon, and then 
 went on, the climbing worse than ever. The first signs of rebellion on 
 the part of the beasts of burden came from the inula grandc who bore 
 the Commodore. He thought it was time his rider walked a little, and 
 while the Commodore paused to reason with him the rest rode on. Very 
 soon the way became so steep that all dismounted and walked. While 
 catching breath at the top of a particularly stiff bit, we heard the Com- 
 modore coming, puffing, panting, profaning. 
 
 "Where is your mule?" I asked. 
 
 "Blank the blankity blank beast, he won't even allow me to lead 
 him, let alone ride !" he exclaimed. "Refuses to associate with me, 
 blank him !" 
 
 And so it was. Miila grandc appeared a few moments later, baited 
 a rod away, and when approached, simply stood stock still. If the 
 Commodore swore, be put bis ears forward so as to miss none of it, 
 and if he fell to belaboring him with a cudgel, simply began to eat of 
 
IX f'.lX.IM.l 
 
 237 
 
 the herljcigc with an air of uncoiK-cni that would have tempted many to 
 shoot. 
 
 About five o'clock Chepo, the pig ranch, where we must spend the 
 night, was reached. We were tired out but happy, for in the memory 
 of the oldest inhabitant never had tliat journey been made without 
 encountering a heavy rain storm on the top of Montoso (over which 
 we came), and we had come through dry. Hammocks were swung in 
 a big half ruined ])igshed, a chicken was cooked and eaten, and we turned 
 
 WILD ■•CASTILLOA." SHOWIXC. STUMP OF BIG TREE FROM WHICH SPROUTS 
 
 HAD GROWN. 
 
 in. The aneroid said two thousand nine hundred and fifty feet for 
 altitude. It was quite cool, but deliciously dry as compared with Rio 
 Negro. 
 
 Up at five the next morning, after a hasty breakfast of Pioneer's bread 
 and coffee, the climbing was continued. Here there was less forest and 
 the trail was centuries old. In places it was worn down in the red por- 
 phory until the sides rose above the rider" head, while at the bottom it 
 was bareh- wide enough for the mule to walk. It was also often cut 
 
238 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 into by a series of from three to five foot steps, with a pool of water in 
 the hollow of each, so the difiiculty in getting along may be imagined. 
 Finally the top of Cerro Nuncio was reached, three thousand five 
 hundred feet in the air, and laid out before us like a map. were the 
 plains of the other side of the peninsula. This mountain, so said the 
 Miner, was a mass of gold bearing quartz, and a part of the property we 
 were examining, but we left it where it was. After a rest we started 
 down towards the town of Las Minas which was to be our recuperating 
 and repairing station. The descent was far too steep to ride, so we 
 climbed down, finally reaching the plains, and a little after noon, we 
 rode into the old Indian town. Here, installed in a house owned by 
 the Pioneer, we were soon sitting at a table, using knives, forks, and 
 napkins, as if we had always been accustomed to them. 
 
 This narrative relates primarily to rubber, and it is hard to forecast 
 just how much extraneous matter the reader will stand. But it is only 
 fair to the writer to allow him a word concerning a part of the world 
 which Christopher Columbus, Duke of Veragua, chose for his own, as 
 it was his province, Veragua, that we then were in. Not onlv that, but 
 all the Indians of his time were Spanish slaves, and the amount of work 
 that they did in digging down mountain sides for gold, is marvelous. 
 Las Minas, founded by the descendants of Columbus, has its jjlaza. 
 church, tiled houses, dogs, children, and buzzards, like all Central Ameri- 
 can towns. It also has several fine CastiUoa trees, and not far away an 
 extensive CastiUoa plantation. The latter is known as "Las ]\Iargharitas"' 
 and is owend by the alcade of Las Minas. It consists of about twenty 
 hectares of land, planted with rubber and cofifee. There are said to be 
 some twenty-five thousand Castilloas, that for age would average about 
 three years. One tree that was ten years old was sixteen inches in 
 diameter, and bled freely, but the latex was waxy, and did not coagulate 
 until the wax was worked out. This was not the case with all. and I 
 think the difference was individual. 
 
 In our conversation with the Indians we learned all that the\- knew 
 of the land just explored. They confessed that they did not like to go 
 over there, as they were afraid of getting lost. Thev also boasted of 
 the times when their grandfathers crossed the mountains and. filling 
 canoes with latex, used them as coagulating vessels, and very hesitat- 
 ingly, and only after very much persuasion, they told of the gold some 
 brought out and of the "lost mines'" that had once produced such riches 
 for the Spaniards before the Indians rose and massacred them. 
 
 Fourth of Julv came while we were in Las Minas, but it would take 
 
IX r.ix.iM.i 
 
 239 
 
 pages to tell of the fiesta that we .^avc the town, and of the bailc ihey 
 gave us in return. At this bailc the alcade played the first violin, and 
 was accompanied hy a mandolin, a triangle, and a native drum. All day 
 long the whole population was shouting Vwa Indcpcndcncia listados 
 Unidos! and we in turn I'ira Indcpcndcncia Panama .'—while Amigos 
 Americanos and Amigos /'a/;a— something (jr other— were swapped 
 back and forth most fraternally. 
 
 Visiting the old Spanish mine, the Colden Cock, now being devel- 
 oped by Americans, we learned from the natives that at times a golden 
 cock crows, and then all the dead men killed by a cave-in during the 
 
 INDIAN PACK BEARER. 
 
 Spanish occupation, groan in concert. A golden bull that is somewhere 
 inside of the mine also has a habit of roaring when certain calamities 
 
 are due. 
 
 From Las Minas came the journey to Pese, a town of some five 
 hundred inhabitants. Here the Pioneer also had a store, and his home, 
 where we were entertained most royally. We did not tarry long, how- 
 ever, as the Prospector was already suffering from painful tropical 
 boils, and it seemed necessary to get where there were physicians. From 
 Pese we went to Chitre on horse or mule back— all except the invalid, 
 who rode in a bull cart— and finally arrived at Innocentias Hotel. I 
 
240 EXPLORING FOR CASTILLOA RUBBER 
 
 was about as near a wreck as one could be, for Chiquita on level ground 
 developed into the fastest, hardest gaited little trotter that I have ever 
 seen. She simply would not canter, and in her trot she kept up with the 
 galloping horses and pounded me almost to jelly. 
 
 At Chitre we expected to find the Almirantc, but she was not 
 there. After waiting two days we took passage on the Quartos Hcr~ 
 manos, the Prospector being brought aboard on a mattress. It must 
 not be thought he was the only damaged one, for all of us were some- 
 what battered. I had a scalp wound an inch long that I had secured by 
 going through a doorway at Innocentias without stooping enough to 
 avoid the sharp tiles, the Scout had a cracked rib. because his horse 
 jammed him under a leaning tree, and the Commodore had a touch of 
 fever. 
 
 The Quartos Hcruiauos got away late, by poling down the narrow, 
 muddy Parita River one and one-half miles to the bay. At the river's 
 mouth, we met the Almirantc, and, leaving the Commodore to guard 
 the luggage, boarded our own boat. It was hard work to get El C a pi tan 
 to turn about and follow the other schooner — why. I don't know — but 
 it was finally accomplished. But alas, hardly were the schooners a 
 quarter of a mile from shore when both were aground. Half an hour 
 later one could walk on the hard, black sand from one boat to the other. 
 It would be flood tide by midnight, and if there was wind that would 
 mean a race for Panama. So I offered our captain ten dollars, silver, 
 if he got in first. By eleven our boat was again on even keel : ten 
 minutes later she was under way, the breeze freshening every minute. 
 It finally got so fresh that I could not sleep on deck but went below. 
 With the exception of one hour's calm the wind held all the next dav, 
 and at midnight blew us into Panama harbor. But the shrewd old 
 Portuguese captain of the Quartos Hermanos beat us an hour h\ getting 
 to the windward and then sailing like a streak. 
 
 It was just sunrise as we dropped anchor in the bay opposite the 
 Hotel Marina, from which picturesque hostelry many boats put off 
 to secure the job of putting us and our belongings ashore. This task 
 was accomplished after much haggling, and within an hour we stood 
 on the beach surrounded by our luggage, objects of much interest 
 to a score of watermen, half as many dogs, and a huge drove of wild 
 pigs that had just been unloaded from a small freight schooner. One 
 more hour on the beach sufficed to purchase porters and a cart — I sav 
 "purchase" advisedly — and start our belongings toward the hotel. 
 
 Once again at the Hotel Grand Central, where were stored most 
 
IN PANAMA 241 
 
 of our clotlics. wo prcijarod to assiinic the habiliments uf civilization. Tlie 
 first thing was to induce the hotel management to open the bathrcjom 
 and furnish water. After a forenoon of persuasion that was finally acc(jm- 
 plished, and we felt better, even if the hotel employes did not. Then 
 followed a visit to the cable office, a second exploration of the city, and 
 preparations for passage to Xew ^■ork. on the good ship ]'iicataii, which 
 was to sail, and did sail, on the day following. 
 
 In our journeys about the city and along the line of the canal, I 
 tried as far as possible to get close to the ])eo])le— that is, in the way of 
 mental, not physical contact. Of the native Panamanians I found some 
 exceedinglv well educated and active, sane, business men. They were, 
 almost without exception, most ])ronounccd in favor of the annexation 
 of the young republic by the Tnited States. The mass of the people, 
 however, apparentlv wish only to be let alone, and resent the bustling 
 ways of the Americans. I should say also that there was an exaggerated 
 idea, in their minds, concerning the prowess of the Americans, particu- 
 larlv the trim looking marines who walked the streets as if each individ- 
 ual could put an army to flight. 
 
 That the canal w^^uld Ix- put through and in less time than is 
 generally believed, all of the business men were agreed, and that Ijoth 
 Colon and Panama City would one day, under the American engineers, be 
 free from yellow fever and as hal)itable and safe as Singapore or Havana 
 none doubted, but that either city would be of great commercial import- 
 ance once the canal was finished was not predicted. 
 
EXPERIENCES IN COLOMBIA 
 
F,XPKKI1-:.\\I':S l.\ COLO.MI'.iA. 
 
 A Race kok Port — The Jduknev to Barranquili.a — IIutel Experiences in 
 That City — A Lakce Sum Rxi-enhed for Doubtful Pleasures — The Stay in 
 Cartagena — Little Information to i-.e Gained About RunisER — The Meeting 
 With Mr. Granger, United States Consular Agent at Quibdo, Colombia — 
 His Interesting Summary of the State of the Industry and His Prophecy 
 for the Future. 
 
 IT had l)c'cn my fortune a numlicr of limes to ol)servc the pictur- 
 es(|uc coast of Colombia from tlie sea, on lioth tlie Atlantic and 
 Pacific sides, hut u]) to the time that the j^ood ship Saniia landed 
 me at Savanilla I had never set foot on its sacred soil. It was, there- 
 fore, with much interest that 1 stood on deck and watched the approach 
 
 
 
 
 VIEW OF i;.\KKANoUlLLA. 
 
 of the vessel to the three hundred-foot iron pier that is about all there 
 is of the "Port of Colombia." There was, to be sure, a cluster of huts 
 about the litle railway station ; huts that seemed to grow up out of the 
 desolate shore much as the cactus and mesquite did, without an\- human 
 intervention, but the result rather, of a dry. creative impulse of some 
 arid desert god. 
 
 245 
 
246 
 
 EXPERIENCES IN COLOMBIA 
 
 We had been shouldered and l)uffeted for several days by the 
 restless Caribbean, scorched ])}■ the sun and wilted by the heat, and we 
 were glad of the prospect of getting ashore. We therefore entered in 
 spirit into the feelings of our captain, who was racing with a French 
 steamer for a good mooring, and whose Teutonic oaths we piously 
 echoed without knowing exactly what they meant. Whether this helped 
 in the race is a question, bu,t at all events we got the berth, and as we 
 were making fast the captain joined our group. His good nature was 
 restored, and as we stood under the awning, not much bigger than a 
 pocket handkerchief, sheltered from a shower, he called attention to a 
 man standing on the pier who was General Somebody, and a personage 
 of great importance. 
 
 HOMES OF THE POOR. 
 
 "You mean the chap in the mackintosh ?" asked an English ship- 
 mate. 
 
 ''No, the man in the rubber 'goat,' "' growled the captain. 
 
 Both of them stood pat, and the argument lasted long after we 
 left them and stepped upon the pier, which was crowded with freight 
 cars, natives, sailors, and the nondescript Anglo-Saxons that become 
 residents of such places and never get either money or energy enough 
 to get away. Did I say that it was Sunday when we landed? Well, 
 by the calendar it certainly was the holy Sabbath, but so far as we 
 could see, no one observed it but ourselves, which w'e did by rigidly 
 abstaining from work, and preparing to journey up to Barranquilla early 
 Monday morning. This town, which is some nineteen miles away, is 
 connected with the port by a jerkwater railroad that has great difficulty 
 in negotiating two tri]is in twenty-four hours. Wc therefore made all 
 
/:A7V:AV/:.VC7:.V /.V COLOMHIA 
 
 247 
 
 preparatiims, and as I was llic mily mu' wlio knew how to ask f(jr three 
 tickets in S])aiiish. I was elected treasurer, and lull of confidence 
 a])i)r()ache(l the ticket office with the demand. "Ires holcto Barniiujiiilla." 
 
 After nuich conversation and considerahle si^ii Janj^uai^e. I dis- 
 covered that single fare was eii;ht\ -ei^ht dollars, round trip beinij 
 seventy-four dollars; so 1 hous^ht round tri])s. thus saving" forty-two 
 dollars. The price seemed a little hij?h, hut it ^ave us an added respect 
 for a cor]:»oration that could secure such prices. 
 
 Taking- our places in the passenger coach which was about fifteen 
 feet long, with exceedingly narrow sides, we were bestowed as com- 
 fortably as might be. We three were the onl\- . liiicricaiios, and the 
 Colombians, particular! \- those with the store teeth, wdiich seemed to be 
 <iuite a fad. smiled at us benignlw We were unable to sit together, and 
 
 MOUTH OF THE SIXU RIVER. 
 
 to one fell the luck of l)eing seated l)y the side of an exceedingly dark- 
 complexioned lady with much adipose tissue, who shook with the motion 
 of the train so that we feared her calico swathings would give way 
 and she would run all over the floor ; while between her and our com- 
 panion sat a perfectly naked boy about six years old. I have forgotten 
 how the rest of us were bestowed, I was so interested in watching the 
 disgusted look on the face of the crowded one. 
 
 When the train was loaded and everything ready, we had the usual 
 South American wait of about half an hour, and then finally, after much 
 protesting on the part of the fussy little engine, the train dragged 
 slowly along the wharf, around by the station, and following the shore 
 took its way through most uninteresting countr\- until we reached 
 
248 
 
 EXPERIENCES IN COLOMBIA 
 
 TAX OKA MIC VIEW OF CARTAGENA. 
 
 Barran(|uilla. This proved to lie quite a city, Spani'^h-American throui^h- 
 out, and unspoiled by the tourists. Around the station were two score 
 of rickety carriages, to which were attached, by rusty and nondescript 
 harnesses, a collection of horses, cadaverous and (lisi)irited in the 
 
 S'-E.\E IN orir.lKI, A KL'liliEK TKADl.Nt, CliNTEK 
 
FIGURES IN THE MAP RELATE TO THE LOJATIOX OF RUBBER PLAXTATIOXS (MEN- 
 TIONED ON ANOTHER PAGE) BELONGING TO THE FOLLOWING: 
 
 I. Juan C. Olier. 
 2 ■ Ciceron Angel. 
 
 3- Carlos Niciilas Ferrer 
 
 4- Gonzalo Zuniga. 
 5. Melnk & Co. 
 
 6. Delfino Diaz. 
 
 7. Manufl Rios. 
 
 8. Louis Gonzales. 
 
 9. Abuchar Hernianos. 
 
 10 Rene Granger 
 
 11. I.ouis M. Sanianiaria. 
 
 12. Francisco De B Carasco. 
 
 13. ' l.e Barrigona " — De La 
 
 Torre Brothers. 
 
2^0 
 
 EXPERIEiXCES IN CO LOME Li 
 
 extreme. Two of them succeeded, however, in getting us and our 
 luggage to the Hotel Anglais, run hy an English woman, where we 
 secured a room. It contained four beds, a passage way between them, 
 a washstand, and a broad balcony overlooking the street. The heat was 
 really terrific and the sandy streets of the town shot it up into the 
 rooms until it seemed almost unbearable. Our stout companion by 
 this time had a splitting headache, so we put him to bed and began to 
 take care of him. I secured for him a cup of tea, part of which he drank. 
 Another got him a glass of lemonade, which seemed to do him more 
 good than the tea, and then for the moment he felt so much better that 
 we got a waiter to bring him up a light meal, after which, discovering 
 that the hotel afiforded ice cream, he had a plate of that. Then he began 
 
 CULUMKIAN SCENERY. 
 
 to feel ill again : indeed. I think he would have refunded all he had eaten 
 had I not shown him the bill, which was itemized as follows: 
 
 Tea $10.00 
 
 Lemonade 8*.oo 
 
 Food 30.00 
 
 Ice Cream i S-OO 
 
 Total $8,^00 
 
 Thrifty New Engiander that he was. he sul^lucd nature, and in a swelter 
 of perspiration announced his intention of keeping what he had i)aid so 
 hieh for. 
 
HXPiiiaiixci'S ix coLOMn/.i 
 
 251 
 
 ( )iir r.ritish hostess did n"t have any tinu- In s])cnd upon us, and 
 as I'jii;hsli was an unknown lani^iia.^' in the town, we were doubly for- 
 tunate in niakiuo- the ac(|uaintanee of Juhus Oesar \'ishal, a coffee col- 
 ored, barefooted urchin, brought u]) in Jamaica, who spoke En.c^lish flu- 
 cntl\- and melodiously. His presence so cheered the sick one that he 
 suddenly became convalescent, lost his headache, ^ot up and joined us 
 while we did the town. Julius was indeed a treasure. He explained 
 everythino- to us l)rieflv and (juaintly. and incidentally i^athered at his 
 heels one-half of the populatiaon of the town, who cared not a whit for 
 us but who wanted to hear him talk Enc^lish. 
 
 That ni^ht we dined in the main dining- hall, but my ai)])etite was 
 
 LUMKER AND WILII kUKBEK CAMP. 
 
 Spoiled bv a sign on the wall which read: Ice cream, $15.00; sliced ham. 
 $45.00; ox tongue, $100.00. 
 
 After dinner we walked around in the cool of the evening, bought 
 some Aztec pottery warranted to be genuine, and later retired to our 
 room. It was then that we began to appreciate the deadly stillness of 
 the tropics. The dog fight that started in the hallway ended in our 
 room, as the combatants fell against the door and burst in. This, 
 mingled with the evening song of several cats, the katydid chorus, and 
 the constant whistling of the police patrol, soon lulled us to sleep; that 
 is, accurately speaking, it lulled one of us, who, when he once lost 
 
252 
 
 EXPERIENCES IN C0E0MBL4 
 
 himself, had the whole trupical chorus l^eaten to a standstill. As an 
 originator of strange gasps, groans, sobs, and strangling snorts, he out- 
 classed anything that we had ever heard before, and while we did not 
 sleep, we lay and listened, filled with awe, as in the presence of the 
 emperor of all snorers. 
 
 In the morning, desirous of showing our appreciation of what 
 Julius had done for us, we asked him to name his own reward, and he 
 decided that he would like a pair of shoes. We therefore purchased for 
 him for thirty dollars a pair of stout leather shoes, and for fifteen dol- 
 lars more a pair of stockings. Then loath to part with him we gave 
 him money to purchase a ticket to ride down to Savinilla with us and 
 
 MEDELLIN STREET SCENE. 
 
 see us ofif. This he did in the thriftiest sort of fashion by buyino- a 
 third class ticket, round trip, for ten dollars, and entering our first 
 class car, calmly ]:)utting himself under our protection, ignoring the 
 expostulations of the outraged conductor. We found incidentally that 
 the fact that Julius went away with us caused a wave of indignation 
 to run throughout the town, as they believed we had practically 
 abducted him. A British friend, also, who had remained aboard the 
 steamer, was very much surprised to see the treatment that we accorded 
 Julius, and asked an explanation of it, in reply to which the Manufac- 
 turer said, jocosely : 
 
 "Him and me is partners.'' 
 
liXPHRIJiXCJiS JX COLOMBIA 253 
 
 "1 am sure you arc, from your orammar," rcjilit'd the Ilriton, with 
 a sarcastic emphasis llial was dchLilitful. 
 
 W'c had diiinrr (ni the Ixiat, and alUT dinner I rendered an account 
 of m\' stewardslii]). wliich tlie tii^ures show: 
 
 Raih-uad tickets $222 
 
 Carriage 80 
 
 Three Icmnnadcs 24 
 
 Tip 5 
 
 Miscellaneous 150 
 
 Hotel 845 
 
 Ticket, Julius lo 
 
 Total S1.336 
 
 -^•^?2^ 
 
 J . ■' " ^T- K ., ?-^fcf '■ • 
 
 ■'■S-L. - - >"-.v'^ «; •■■■■ v»^- li. 
 
 ^^'g^ 
 
 ^^%m^^^^^ 
 
 
 
 
 £ .^ ■■?^ii 
 
 1 li ;i ^'1 ■ 1^ i 
 
 
 
 -. ^*-*. ■■J 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 li 1 
 
 ■i. _ 
 
 ,-i--#r^ / 
 
 
 MEDELLIN — HOME OF A WEALTHY CITIZEX. 
 
 All this money for twenty-four hours of doul)tful pleasure ! I have 
 forgotten whether I remarked that one dollar of Uncle Sam"s money was 
 readily taken hy the Colombians for one hundred dollars of their own. 
 
 The reason for the great depreciation in Colombian currency is 
 said to be that twenty-five years ago Colombia coined both gold and 
 silver which circulated at par, but the law^ allowed all debts to be paid 
 in silver which was the cheaper, and in a very short time gold went out 
 of use and liecame a subject for speculation rather than a circulating 
 medium. 
 
254 
 
 EXPERIENCES IN COEOMBIA 
 
 We got away at eleven o'clock that night and on the following 
 morning were out of sight of land, continuing so all day. As there were 
 no ladies aboard, and as it was exceedingly hot, we lived in pajamas and 
 came nearer to being comfortable than we had at any time for a week. 
 It was told us incidentally during the day Ijy one of the officers that the 
 report had gone abroad in 15arran(|uilla that the P*resident of the United 
 States had been assassinated — a report circulated probably by some one 
 who was feeling sore about Panama. The matter furnished a dav"s 
 
 THE WRITKK ( OX TUK KK.HT) AXII HIS COMPANIONS ilLJ XOVAGE. 
 
 [The Iwy is Julius Caesar. I 
 
 excitement, until the arrival of the next steamer confirmed its untruth- 
 fulness. 
 
 The followino- nioniing tound us at the entrance of the harl)or at 
 Cartagena. We entered by the old Spanish forts, passing groves of palms, 
 coming into a beautiful stretch of harbor, where fronting us lay the old 
 walled city, built close to the water's edge, with a background of tree 
 clad heights, a sight picturescpie and beautiful, and a wonderful con- 
 
r.xi'iii<ir.\ci:s i\ CO I A). \i HI. 
 
 2; 
 
 :)o 
 
 trast to the Colmnhian towns \\c had just K-fi. Makini,^ fast to the 
 pier, the steamer was at 1 nice surrounded h\ (hij^outs, in wliich natives 
 with monkeys, ])arrots, coral, etc., tried to tempt money from the 
 rehictant ])ockels of tlie passengers. ( lettiniL;- ashore we took a short 
 railroad ride to the middle of the cit\ and hreakfasted at 
 the Motel Americano. h'ven here there were few An^io-Saxons. 
 Indeed, one of the storekeepers to whom we had letters of introduction 
 said at that time that there were only seven .Americans, four Enj:jlish- 
 men, and three ( lermans in ( "artasjena. The old cit\- was fascinatinir 
 
 
 /', z^. / 
 
 i ^,_^ 
 
 ^y4Bi 
 
 HBI 
 
 S|^^M 
 
 
 M 
 
 Wj 
 
 1 
 
 wL 
 
 
 SJSk 
 
 n^E 
 
 m^ 
 
 - ' J8h 
 
 ^^B^^^H 
 
 H| 
 
 mKt 
 
 m 
 
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 HwRi 
 
 
 
 
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 B^^g 
 
 in the extreme, and we spent every moment tliat wc could sjjare in view- 
 ing the walls, the cathedral, the fortifications, and the |)uhlic huildings. 
 \\'e also went up against a native manufacturer of Panama hats, and 
 each hought several of them. Incidentall}-, of course, we looked for 
 ruhher, hut found that there was very little in town. Indeed, few knew 
 anything ahout ruhher an\- wav. either wild or cultivated. A young 
 Philadelphian who went down with us reported that on his company's 
 concession, which covered some two hundred sfjuare miles, the natives 
 had cut down near!}- all the ruhher trees, and that that sort of work 
 had followed throughout the whole of their district. 
 
 It was a very fortunate accident that at this juncture hrought me 
 in touch with Mr. Henry G. Granger, Ignited States consular agent at 
 Ouihdo, Colomhia. and it is due to his instant good will that the fol- 
 lowing record is here a]i]:)ended. 
 
2i;6 
 
 EXPERIENCES IN COLOMBIA 
 
 Ouibclo, by the way, on the river Atrato, in western Colombia, is 
 a town of some commercial importance in that region, as well as a 
 political center, being the residence of the prefect of one of the provinces. 
 The term, "the Choco," mentioned by Mr. Granger, is a legacy 
 from the former days, when a province existed by that name, derived 
 from an ancient Indian race called the Chocos. The region referred to 
 now, however, forms a portion of the present department of Cauca. 
 Mr. Granger's information follows : 
 
 "Thirty years ago the production of wild rubber in the Choco 
 amounted to several million pounds per year. The trees were cut down 
 and bled to the branches. As the wild CastHloa here runs a free latc.v, 
 it is gathered in kerosene cans, or holes in the ground, and is brought to 
 market in solid cakes. Owing to the destruction of the trees, the 
 
 •■LOAR MILL. 
 
 output steadily fell off and the cakes became adulterated by earth and 
 non-elastic saps mixed in to make weight, until the business became 
 pretty well discredited, and relatively nonimportant. Then attention 
 began to be called to small balls of rolled strips. cJiaca (pronounced 
 chassa), brought in by Indians and occasional negroes, which were 
 taken from cultivated trees by cutting the bark with machetes at inter- 
 vals of a few inches, as far as a man could reach. The cultivated trees 
 are called 'borroso' as they give a thick latex which runs but a short 
 distance down the trunk, and is gathered, when dry, by tearing off the 
 strips and rolling them into balls, or packing in boxes in which case they 
 drv in the form of the receptacle. 
 
 "Practically all lra\'eling in the Choco is done by water, and soon 
 
EXl'liKlliSCl^S IN COLOMBIA 
 
 257 
 
 canoes be.ijan to arrive bring^ing only chaza, as this class of rubber, in 
 view of the superior i)rice it l)rought in the foreign markets, was paid 
 for at nuich liigher rates than the ordinary cakes. This stinudated the 
 negroes, and about nine or ten years ago they began to plant rubber, 
 until toda\. of the estimated population of eighty thousand negroes in 
 the. Choc.i. he is the exception who has not, if not l)earing. at least a few 
 dozen trees planted. And some of them have as high as f.nu" thousand 
 trees in a plantation. 
 
 Now. ih the rubber shipped from Choco, the cake is the exception 
 and cJiarj.a the rule. 
 
 The products of the Choco are shipped by the steamer Condor and 
 a number of dory shaped schooners to Cartagena on the Atlantic coast, 
 and bv dugouts to L'.ueuaventura on the Pacific. The only two vessels 
 
 which have kept a record of their classified freight for the past year 
 are the steamer Condor and the schooner Tnlia. In(|uiry from then- 
 owners resulted in the statement that they carried, during this period, 
 seventy-one and eighty tons of rubber respectively. As there are a 
 number of other schooners which run to Ouil)do and are known to bring 
 rubber, it is entirely reasonable to place their entire total at that of 
 the Tnlia, or a general total to the port of Cartagena of two hundred 
 and thirty-one tons per year. Sehor Luis Durier of the firm of Zuniga 
 and Diaz, at present manager of their Cartagena house, who has had 
 extended experience in the province of San Juan, says that unquestion- 
 ably this region ships as much as the Atrato. But if it shipped far less 
 w^e' would still have a product of over a ton a day. the great majority of 
 which is cluiza, or the product of standing cultivated trees. 
 
258 
 
 EXPERIENCES L\ COEOMBJA 
 
 "It is an accepted fact that in five, or even four years, if well cared 
 for, a rubber tree in the Choco will give a total annual product, of 
 various cuttings or tappings, of a pound of cluiza, and that if care is 
 taken not to injure the tree, this amount will annually increase. The 
 commerce of the Choc(') is in the hands of the white race, who live in 
 the principal towns. Many have gone into rul)l)cr ])lanting, and some 
 
 CACAO. 
 
 esteem their plantations more than their merchandising. Among the 
 principal ones are : 
 
 Juan C. Olier, Rio Sucio, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Ciceron Angel, Ouibdo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Carlos Nicholas Ferrer, Qnibdo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Gonzalo Zuniga, Ouibdo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Meluk & Co., Quibdo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Delfino Diaz, Ouibdo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Manuel Rios, Rio Sucio, Atrato. Colombia. 
 
 Luis Gonzales, Turbo, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 -Abuchar Hermanos. Sautata, Atrato, Colombia. 
 
 Rene Granger, manager, Yankomba, Atrato. Colombia. 
 
 Luis M. Santamara, manager. La Carolina. Uraba. Colombia. 
 
 Francisco de 15. Carrasco. Istmina Choco, San Juan, Colombia. 
 — not to mention the hundreds of small ])lantations of much larger 
 ^ggregate than the above, whose ])lanting will amount to probably about 
 three hundred thousand trees, all of Castilloa exce])t at La Carolina, 
 
lixriiR/iixcr.s i\ colomhli 259 
 
 which is tr\in,o- Maiiihot Ciia.zio-rii with seeds hroui;hl from Don Simon 
 de la Torrcs's ranch La liarri^nna on the npper Magdalena, which 
 in turn l)roui^lit scx'ds troni ( Cylon. 
 
 "It is found tliat rul)her to tln-ive in the ( "lioc'' must l)e planted in 
 the sun, and the accepted distance ajjart is four lo Uvv meters. llie 
 construction of the C'oloml)ia (,'enlral Kailroad from the (lull of Lraha 
 i^Darien) to the interior will o])en u]) a lot of rul)l)er land in addition 
 to the areas alreadv accessihle. lianana raising, (piariz mininii^. and 
 gold dredging are industries of great ])romist' here, hut none of them 
 will surpass the ruhher ])lanting husiness if the jjresent tnthusiasm con- 
 tinues, and jtidging from the outlook it will."" 
 
A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
A 1IA"I.\(, Tkll' '!'( 
 
 A.M. MCA. 
 
 (.■^N I'.IIVKI. TlIK SaKNIA — A WoUU Co.N'CEKNM N( , THK ISI.WI. <1K JaMAUA— [TS 
 DlSKlXKKV. I'"(>K.MATI(>.\. A lOKH . 1 N KS . .\'o.M ENILATIKK. 1< A I N !■ A 1,1.. ( ioVERN M K.\T A.Ml 
 
 Luc.xTioN— Ini-ou.mation from imk Dki'aktmext (i|- AiiKu ri.Tiki-: — A Vi.-it to 
 
 C.ASTLETON CaRHENS— SOMETHINC .XlOlT THE RrilliKK I 'l<l Mii; Ell ThEHE .\.\|i THE 
 
 Conditions .Atten'ihxc, It— Hope (i.\KiiE.\s— He\e.\ .\mp C.\stii.i.().\— '1'he .Mii.k 
 Withe. 
 
 JAM.\K"A — peaceful, fertile, rich in clieaj). free la!)i>r. and clo.se 
 to the L'nited States throui^ii location and lani^uaLie. will some 
 daw per]ia])s very .soon, hv an exporter of india-rubber leathered 
 from annual crops. The beoinnino of ex])erimental j^lantini,^ may be 
 even before this book goes to press — hence the story of the island, briefly 
 told. 
 
 KINGSTON STREET, KINGSTON. 
 
 I had long wished to visit it and see for myself how it sized up 
 as a place for planting rubber. This wish was intensified when Pro- 
 fessor X. L. P.ritton. director of the Xew York Botanical Gardens, 
 leased the English tropical experiment station at Chincona, and assured 
 a future for American liotanical work in which rubber can hardly be 
 ignored. I was more than glad, therefore, when m\ journeyings made 
 
264 
 
 A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
 it convenient for me to stop and have a look for myself. We left New 
 York late in November on the Saniia, which was crowded; so much so 
 that one of our party, planning for my comfort, wrote a few days prior 
 to the start : 
 
 "I have ordered the upper bunk in Stateroom Twenty-one made 
 up especially for you, with a delicate blue counterpane, with little blue 
 ribbon bows on the pillows which I think will match up with your beau- 
 tiful complexion very well."* 
 
 Newspapers, however, have special privileges, particularly when 
 the Editor knows the agent of the line, so I was able to secure a roomy 
 cabin bv mvself, but alas, without the delicate colored counterpane 
 and ribbon. 
 
 1 
 
 
 ^^^^^ Hh' 
 
 
 
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 r 1 
 
 
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 ^^^^ ^^sm^'^'^wSiif/I^Sjs^^ ^0fi 
 
 
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 ■i 
 
 (.'OUXTRV NEGROES. 
 
 We got ofif in a snow squall, stopped for an hour in Gedney Chan- 
 nel to ease up on a hot bearing, and then we put out to sea. It was not 
 too rough to have the port holes open, although an occasional big wave 
 slopped in. Our fellow passengers were a circus troupe on a two years* 
 circuit around the world, via South American ports ; some mining and 
 lumbermen bound for Colombia, and a miscellaneous lot of tourists. 
 One of the lumbermen confessed to owning a small plantation of Cas- 
 tilloa in Honduras, but was far from enthusiastic about it, as he could 
 not keep the natives from stealing the rubber, poor though the yield 
 was. 
 
rLYIXC Tk'/r TO JAMAICA 
 
 26: 
 
 As \vc ^(il furtluT sDUth it l)ccanK' waniKT wry rapidly, and S(jun 
 sweaters and licav\- suits were lai<l aside. At iM)rtune Island we took a lot 
 of Jamaica negroes aboard. an<l one evening they came to the promenade 
 deck and gave a concert. It was very darkeyish, hut not half so musical 
 as what the American ])lantatii)n negroes dn. ( )ff the coast of Cul)a 
 the temperature on deck was eiglit\-eight degrees Fahrenheit, and 
 in my cabin, ninety-eight. It is unnecessary to state where 1 spent 
 most of my time. 
 
 Now just a word concerning the place we were to visit. The island 
 of Jamaica was discovered in 1494 h}' C"hristoi)her C'oluml)US, who was 
 
 BOG WALK. 
 
 very much taken by its beauty, and delighted with the politeness and 
 good nature of the natives ; so much did he and his followers appreciate 
 them that within a few years they had robbed them of all they had and 
 practicallv exterminated them. The island, by the way, was not known 
 as Jamaica in those days, but as Chab-makia, from two Indian words 
 meaning wood and water, or in the thought of the Indian, "watered by 
 shaded rivulets." The Spanish softened the word to Chamakia, and in 
 turn the English made it Jamaica. 
 
 In 1654 the English captured the island and began to colonize it. 
 For manv vears thev sent their convicts there to work for the planters. 
 
266 
 
 A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
 but in i68c; tlie lal:)or situation was such that the government recognized 
 slaver}-, and for a time all was peaceful. There were several revolts, 
 however, on the part of the slaves, one occurring in 1760, when sixty 
 planters were killed and half a million dollars" worth of property 
 destroved. The rebels were finally sul)dued, and as a warning, one 
 of the ringleaders was burned at the stake and two others were ]nit in 
 iron cages and allowed to slowly starve to death. In 1834 the British 
 government insisting that the slaves be freed, arranged an apprentice 
 sAstem for the 311.000 slaves, by which laborers in the field were to 
 work six vears more and then l)e free; while domestic laborers were 
 to work four \ears more. The crown also paid thirty million dollars 
 
 
 -a jJMimfmiST'^S^^^^^^^^^^^^^B 
 
 
 
 ^yS^^^tes^ 
 
 •■ -vsiSH?' -,'(■^^^^9^^^^'^ 
 
 
 EXTKAXCE TO lloPE BOT.\NICAL G.ARDENS. 
 
 indemnitv to thr owners. After being freed, the slaves became luiglish 
 subjects with all their rights, and it is only fair to the black race to 
 sav that tht^\ have progressed remarkably : as well, perhaps, as whites 
 would have done under the same circumstances. To show the propor- 
 tion of whites and l)lacks on the island, figures from the last census are 
 given as follows: Whites, 14,692; colored people, 121,955; blacks, 
 488,^124; and 14,000 East Indians, Chinese, etc. 
 
 ddie "Jamaica nigger" at home is not a very hard worker, but he is 
 <>oo(l natured. self respecting, and in many cases thrifty. The island 
 does not aft'ord enough work for him. an<l so the\- are to ])e found all 
 
/ hLVISC TKir TO J.lM.llCA 
 
 267 
 
 up and <l(i\vii llic roast nf ( vntral AiiKTica, wlirrr tlu-y arc very pmud 
 of tlic fact that i1k'\ speak I'Ji.^lisli. and that \.W\ are free men. 
 
 It is doubtless a surprise to many pe<j])le when tlicy discover how 
 far s.iulh Jamaica really is. The island Hes directly ojjposite Cape 
 Gracias a Dios on the Mos(|uito coast of XicaraL;ua. and it is so situ- 
 ated that when the I'anama tana! is finished, it will he a mo.st impor- 
 tant strateo-ic jjoint. The chief business of the island is j^lantin.^- su.o^ar. 
 coffee, bananas, etc. The natives work as a rule from seven in the 
 mornini; until four in the afternoon, with an hour out lor noon break- 
 fast. I'hey r;u-elv work .Saturda\s. 'idle avera-e pa\ for field labor 
 is fiftv cents a da\ . The island, althou.L;li only one hundred and torty- 
 
 PORT ANTONIO. 
 
 four miles long and forty-nine miles wide, has a climate varying from 
 tropical to temperate. 
 
 ( )ne of the first questions that the prospective ruliber planter asks is, 
 "What is the rainfall?" In no way can this be answered so comprehen- 
 sively in the case of Jamaica as by the accompanying rain chart reproduced 
 from "The Rainfall of Jamaica." l)y Maxwell Hall. M. A.. F. R. A. S.. F. 
 R. M. S.. and i)ul)lished by the Institute of Jamaica. The mean rainfall 
 for the whole island annually is sixty-six inches. The northeastern end. 
 however, has an area where the rainfall is one hundred inches and over. 
 shown bv the darkest portion of the chart. Xorthwest of 
 this there is a tract where it is from seventy-five to ninety- 
 five inches which is indicated by the next lighter shade. The 
 
268 
 
 A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
 MAP SHOWING AVF.RACE RAINFALL OVER JAMAICA FOR ONE YEAv 
 
 r 
 
A f/A'/XC I'Rir TO J.IM.IICA 
 
 269 
 
 western central ])<irti(in has a lari;e area tliat runs frtjui seventv- 
 five to ninety-ti\e inches, while all alnn^ the coast and a strij) throiit^h 
 the middle of the island, there is onl\- from f(jrt\- to fifty inches, and in 
 places thirty to thirty-five. It will thus he seen that the ])lanter can 
 get almost an\- rainfall his crops mav need. The island is of volcanic 
 oriiijin and indeed, has heen, within the menKjry of man, visited hy 
 severe eartlKjuakes. The formation is coral, white and yellow lime- 
 stone, and in some places, traj) rock. In the ri\-er valle\s there are 
 some (fuite rich alluvial areas where excellent cro])s are pr(jduced. 
 There are man\ thousands of acres of crown lands not vet taken up, 
 which are disposed of to settlers under e.xceedinja^lv favorahle terms. 
 
 SUG.JiR C.'VNE FIELH 
 
 A'ery early in the morning- we passed the old Spanish fort at 
 Port Royal, entered the harhor, and at seven o'clock were tied up at 
 the pier in Kingston. The wharf was crowded with ebony-colored 
 "Englishmen, ■■ who bore themselves with much dignity. Pushing 
 through them we made our way to the Myrtle Bank Hotel, where a 
 good breakfast was discussed, and then we did the town ; that is, until 
 the sun got a bit too hot for walking. As I wanted to get all the 
 oi^cial information possilile. we looked up the Department of Agri- 
 culture. In a short time we were furnished by the very capable secre- 
 tarv with maps, rain charts, reports and practical information that told 
 prettv nearlv all we wished to know. The ofificials were most prompt 
 
270 
 
 A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
 and polite, and really saved us days of hard work in what thev fur- 
 nished us. 
 
 The printed matter was good, but we wanted to see rubber grow- 
 ing, and therefore took the nineteen-mile trip to Castleton Gardens. 
 These gardens, established some forty years ago in what was supposed 
 to be a sheltered valley, would, if more money were spent upon them, 
 be of great value to the whole of the West Indies. The average tem- 
 perature at the gardens is seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit, and the rain- 
 fall, 114.07 inches, annually. The first ten miles of the journey was by 
 excellent trolley cars and gave us a fine chance to view the country. 
 
 r_^ 
 
 H;"'" 
 
 
 13 
 
 w 
 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 4« 
 
 1 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 mk 
 
 U 1 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 r 
 
 1 
 
 m 
 
 ii 
 
 COCOANUT PALMS. 
 
 The product most aljundant was, of course, the Ijanana, grown in l)ig 
 and little lots for the United Fruit Company. At the end of the trolley 
 line was the Constant Spring Hotel where we secured carriages for 
 the rest of the journey. The way was hilly, l)ut the roads good, and 
 the soil although not apparently rich, seemed, under the infiuence of 
 the sun and the abundant rainfall, to lie verv productive. 
 
 The gardens were in a measure a disa])pointment, as thev are not 
 large, and have a neglected look, except in parts. This is due to lack 
 of money and not lack of interest on the part of the caretakers, the 
 whole approjiriation for the upkeep being fifteen dollars, gold, a week. 
 
A PLY IXC. IKir TO J. I M. lie A 
 
 271 
 
 Unfortunalc'K wIkmi llir first rral rxiJiTiiiK'tits in ruhhir culUire in 
 Jamaica wcri' nndcrlakcn, the C'cara tree was selected as the l^est fitted 
 for that chmatc. As far as can he learned, the tree hehaved exactly as 
 it (lid in C'exlon. orew vioorously. hut as a Uitc.v ])r()ducer was a disap- 
 pointment. 
 
 There were several s])eciniens of Picus rlastiai and Landolphias 
 as well as some fairlv <;-ood Castilloas. The ruhher trees that (jave the 
 most ])romise, hmvever, were 1 1 c-ca Spniccaihi and the IJci'ca Brasili- 
 ciisis. The Sl^niceana was i)arti nilarlN thrifty and i^ave out o^ood lafcx 
 ahnndantlv. The ruhher from it was oi" a h'^hl yellow color and very 
 
 CASTLETOX GARDENS. 
 
 tough. The trees that we saw were only a renmant of a fine lot. most 
 of which were destroyed l)y a hurricane that swept the island some 
 little time hiefore. Our guide, h)- the way. who was a negro foreman 
 at the garden, knew the hotanical names of all of the i)lants, and was 
 indeed hetter posted than any white man that we saw out there. 
 
 The elevation of the gardens is three hundred and seventy feet, 
 and there seemed to he plenty of land thereahouts that could he utilized 
 for Hcrca growing. As- lahor (negro) is very plentiful, and the daily 
 wage fifty cents, and as in addition the laws are as good as anywhere 
 in the North.— given no more hurricanes— it would look as u ruhher 
 
2^2 
 
 A FLYING TRIP TO JAMAICA 
 
 might he made to pay. The soil, as ah'eady remarked, is in this part of 
 the island, poor, but royal palms, cocoanuts, ceiba trees, indeed all of 
 the ordinary growths of the tropics were in evidence. In addition to 
 this, a few miles took one up in the mountains to almost anv climate 
 that one could choose, a valuable adjunct to a tropical plantation oper- 
 ated by a white man. 
 
 About six miles from Kingston are the Hope Gardens which are 
 both for botanical specimens and great nurseries. Here are two hun- 
 
 CASTILLOA ELASTICA IN HOPE GARDENS. (TREE 3 YEARS 
 AND 6 MONTHS OLD). 
 
 dred and twelve acres, the elevation being six hundred to seven hundred 
 feet. The annual rainfall is 54.21 inches and the average temperature 
 77.2° F. Of the rubber trees that are growing in these gardens onlv 
 the Hevea and the CastiUoa are conspicuous. The former does not 
 seem to be well at all, as it is spindling in its growth and far from 
 vigorous. This is und()u])tcdlv due to the comparative dryness of the 
 atmosphere. The CastiUoa, however, showed a fine growth, due no 
 doubt to the fact that it was irrigated. If its vigorous growth means 
 
./ rD'/xc rKii> TO j.iM.iiL'.i 2^1 
 
 added Uilcx. it iqicns tip a \\v\\ ticld t'nr tln' planlinj; of this tree wliere 
 there is small rainfall hut plent\' of water for surface work. 
 
 It uiay not he j^euerall) known, hut Jamaica has its own ruhhcr 
 producer, a climhin|L; shruh known as the .Milk Withe. Its botanical 
 name is l-orslcvon\a iJiirihiiinhi Ml. Don) and its stem fields a rubber 
 that as loui;' a^^o as iS(;i was \-alued in h"n,niand at seventy-nine cents 
 a pound. That does not mean necessariK' that the ])roduct is equal 
 to fine I'ara. although it hroui^lit the I'ara ])rice, for the samples were 
 \ery dry and showed hut little shrinkage. It is a fact, however, tliat 
 it was a good grade of ruh1)er, and if the reports f)f the first ship])ers 
 are acctn^ate, the latc.v is very rich in caoutchouc. 
 
 To go hack a little, the ])lant is a climbing vine or liane, and grows 
 only in the w^oods in the interior, chiefly in Manchester and St. Eliza- 
 beth counties. The best manner of coagulating was found to l)e the 
 simple ap])lication of heat. So far, it has never been exploited commer- 
 cially, nor is it known whether or not the vine is susceptible of culti- 
 vation. 
 
 Reverting again to the Castilloa, there is said to be one ])lantation 
 of some three thousand trees at the western end of the island, but it is 
 carefullv guarded and information refused to all. 
 
 I have not touched u])on the varied delights of Jamaica to the 
 winter tourist, nor described the many minor adventures that three 
 Americans ofif for a holiday arc sure to discover, for this, after all. is 
 not a holiday tale. It is rather a suggestion to Americans and English 
 that Jamaica is a good place in which to "get busy"" on the short crop 
 proposition. 
 
RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 
 
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Ki'inU'-.u cn/riK!'". i.\ Hawaii 
 
 Wl''. criisse'il the I'acitic from N'ukoliama to IIoikiIuIu in iIk- L hiiiti 
 and as jjasscn^vrs were few I had a roomy. lii.^h-sUidded 
 eahin to myself. Against the advice of tlie steward I kept the 
 port o])en, ])referrini;- to take a chance on drowning- to one on as])hyxia- 
 tion. .Much water came in, ])ut it didn't touch me as 1 sle])t in the u])ijer 
 l)unk, reached ])\ a Ladder, and m\- cliance proved well taken. When 
 we cros.sed meridian 180 we had the somewhat unusual experience 
 of havinj^- a dav forty-eight hours lono-. W'e were .given two sunrises, 
 two sunsets, and six scjuare meals, all on hrida}'. and all on the fifth 
 of the month. Mad it heen Thursday or Saturday i should not have 
 cared, h.ut T hate fish, and that was certainly a lonc^ day. 
 
 ( )ur first sight of the Hawaiian g'roup came at evening- from the 
 ''heat lightning"" playing ovgr one of the outlying islands, and at day- 
 break the next morning we v.'ere at Honolulu ( pronounced Honolult/ by 
 the inhabitants). I sav at the place, Init not in it, for one of our steer- 
 age crowd of Koreans, after troubling the ship's doctor by developing 
 granulated eyelids, and threatening smallpox, came clown with a huge 
 abscess in the arm pit that the quarantine of^cials diagnosed as bubonic. 
 So we waited while they took a section of him ashore, only to return 
 after a few hours with the glad news that it was sim])ly a respectable 
 but angry boil. 
 
 After this comforting assurance we went ashore and had tiffin at 
 the elegant Alexander Young Hotel, went out to Wakaki Beach for surf 
 riding, bought curios, took trolley and carriage rides, and in fact settled 
 down to real hard work as sightseers. I am, however, going to put ofY 
 the storv of mv own adventures and get right down to the story of 
 Hawaii as it is and as it will be when it gets to be a rubber producer. 
 
 To go back a little, the Sandwich islands were discovered in 1778 
 by Captain Cook, whom the natives l)elieved to be edilile, and whom 
 thev at once jiroceeded to get awa\- with. Some time in the present 
 centur\- thev were re-discovered b\- William J. (iorham of the Gor- 
 hani Rubber Company, of San h^rancisco. The natives did not cherish 
 the illusions regarding him that they did toward the former discoverer 
 and he got awav with fJicm. When 1 met him in Honolulu he had just 
 sul)iugated everv trader in the grou]), and was planning to sell to a 
 svndicate, enough of his wonderful steam hose to run a pii:>e line from 
 
 279 
 
2So 
 
 RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 
 
 the volcano of Kihuiea to Honolulu, to furnish steam for industrial 
 purposes. 
 
 The islands comprising the territory of Hawaii are seven large ones 
 and quite a number of little ones. They are Hawaii, ^laui. Oahu, 
 Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Xiihau. According to the census of 1900 
 
 VIEWING YOUNG RUBBER. 
 
 thev had 154,001 inhabitants. Of these islands, the most densely 
 populated is that of Oahu, which has nearly 60,000, and it is on this 
 island that the city of Honolulu is situated. The native population 
 to-day is small, being less than one third of the total, the predominant races 
 being the Chinese and the Japanese. Probably no country in the world offers 
 a greater variety of ))eautiful scenerv than does this midocean territory 
 
RUBBER CULTURE IN lUUWli 
 
 281 
 
282 
 
 RUBBIiR Ct'LTURE IX H.UrAIf 
 
 of ours, and not only is the scenery marvelous and the aral)le land rich 
 and productive, but the climate is uniformlv the finest on earth. The 
 very hottest day that the islands can furnish will not show a temperature of 
 over 90° F. and it never gets colder than 55^. On the mountain tops 
 they have cool nights, occasional frosts, and sometimes a little snow, 
 
 SEVE-N YEAR "MANIHOT" NEAR NAHIKU LANDING. 
 
 l)ut anywhere near the sea level there is beautiful Alav weather the \ear 
 round. It is certainly a fisherman's, huntsman's, bicyclist's, automo- 
 bilist's, or general tourist's paradise, and the American people are 
 rapidly waking up to the fact. 
 
 Sugar cane, of course, is the main cro]) in the Hawaiian islands. I 
 have forgotten exactlv the number of acres but think it is about 200.000. 
 
Ri'HniiR ci'LTCKii ix n.in\in 
 
 2.S3 
 
 PLANTING ON NEWLY CLEARED LAND, NAHIKU PLAXTATIOX. 
 
284 RUBBER CULTURE IK HAWAII 
 
 most of which are tilled by great corporations under their own planta- 
 tion systems. There are, however, many small planters whose cane 
 finds a ready market at the sugar mills. A great variety of tropical 
 fruits such as pineapples, bananas, alligator pears, oranges, etc., are 
 also grown and a good deal of cofifee is raised while the Chinese planter 
 is quite a feature as a rice producer. 
 
 It is claimed that there are at the present time something like 40,000 
 acres of arable land on the islands, most of it belonging to the govern- 
 ment. This may be easily acquired by those who contemplate any sort 
 of planting proposition. Much of this land lies in sheltered valleys, and 
 at the present time it is heavily wooded. The soil being volcanic, except 
 on the coast plains which are of coral origin, the drainage is good and 
 the land fertile. For certain growths, however, fertilizers are needed, 
 and to those who contemplate taking up land in the territory of Hawaii 
 it is strongly urged that they communicate with the special agent in 
 charge of the Hawaiian Experiment Station at Honolulu, who is a 
 gentleman of much experience and who is in a position to be very help- 
 ful. Exactly what it would cost one to purchase land it is difficult to 
 state. Good sugar land brings from $25 to $60 an acre, that is, when 
 purchased from private individuals, but bought from the government 
 it would cost from $10 to $15. These holdings are classified, and the 
 commissioner at Honolulu can give any inquirer full information 
 regarding what is open, conditions for the homestead lease system, right 
 of purchase, leases, cash freeholds, and so on. 
 
 I have dwelt at some length upon this for the reason that now that 
 rubber culture has made a beginning in the Sandwich Islands, and par- 
 ticularly as these islands are now making real progress, many faces will 
 turn towards this Pacific possession of ours, and much agricultural 
 development will result. Tt is to be hoped that a large part of this, or at 
 least a fair proportion of it, will be along the line of rubber cultivation. 
 Indeed it wouldn't hurt the writer's feelings a bit if the thousands of 
 acres devoted to the luxury, sugar, were turned within the next five 
 vears into the production of the necessity — rublier. 
 
 To speak a little further about conditions for the man who wishes 
 to plant rubber or anything else : It will be a satisfaction to many to 
 know that there are no snakes or poisonous reptiles of any kind in all 
 the islands. There are no such pestilences as are to be found in other 
 tropical countries, and there isn't a wild beast anywhere there ; nor have 
 they yet discovered malaria. Of course there are certain drawbacks. 
 While there are a])i)arently no insects poisonous to man. there are many 
 
Ri'BBiiR cri/rrRii /.v n.iir.iii 
 
 28= 
 
 MAXIHOT i,l..\/iii\ii. .\AH1KL- PLAXTATIOX. {22 IXCH DIAM.j 
 
286 RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 
 
 agricultural pests. For example, the fruit industry suffers from scale 
 and mealy bugs and sugar planters are ol)liged to fight the borer and 
 all his kin. Then, too, there are cut worms, plant lice, Japanese rose 
 beetles, and lots of others of the same sort. Whether there is anything 
 that will be injurious to rul)ber no one knows yet, but it is (juite likely 
 that some of the existing insects will adapt themselyes to the rubber 
 situation as it develops. . 
 
 My interest in rubber in Hawaii dates back to 1890. during the 
 .reign of King Kalakua, with whom I had a most interesting correspon- 
 dence. That is, I wrote him some very interesting letters and got no 
 replies. 1 don't say specifically that that is why he lost his throne, but 
 any student of history knows what has happened to the islands since I 
 received the royal snub. 
 
 The defunct ruler, however, went on record as believing that some- 
 thing might be done with the Eicus rcligiosa and the Eiciis Indica which 
 grow there in "prolific profusion. "'. He also noted that the bread fruit 
 tree ( Arfocarpos iiicisa) produced a gum that for centuries had been 
 used l:)y his subjects for waterproofing purposes, and which he believed 
 might contain a percentage of rubber. With regard to the cultivation of 
 rubber, he promised his royal sanction to anybody with money to spend 
 to come there and spend it for rubber or anything else. 
 
 Somewhere in 1900 the papers in the Far East claimed that the 
 United States government was going at once to save $30,000,000 that it 
 was then paying for imported rubber, by booming cultivation in Hawaii. 
 The story was, that the nucleus was to be 100,000 rubber trees trans- 
 planted from Brazil to the newly accjuiretl territory. Xothing, however, 
 came of this. 
 
 It was on the island of Maui that the first real start at rubber 
 planting was made. Seven hundred and sixty square miles has Maui, 
 and a most romantic island it is. It is really two mountains connected 
 by a sandy isthmus, and is wonderfully varied l)oth in climate and 
 scenery. For example, speaking of climate, one side of the island is 
 dry and barren, but the other, the windward, is exceedingly fertile. 
 This portion, which consists on the lower levels of picturesque valleys, 
 has plenty of rain and rich soil, and it is here that the rubber is being 
 planted, and Ceara (Maiiiliot) was the first tree selected. Rumor has 
 it also that there was something like two hundred acres, part Hcvca 
 and part Eicus, planted about the same time, but no record of this plant- 
 ing is at present available. In 1905, however, there was formed the 
 Nahiku Rul)ber Co., Limited, which took over the plantation containing 
 
288 RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 
 
 tlie Ceara trees planted some years before, which although few in 
 number, had not only matured remarkably, but had some excellent 
 rubber producers. This was rather remarkable, that is, the fact that the 
 trees produced latex, as the rainfall was nearly two hundred and fifty inches, 
 and with the experience of the Ceylon planters before them many 
 thought that the trees would be barren. The reason for this difiference 
 perhaps lies in the fact that although the rainfall is great the evapora- 
 tion is very sudden so that the trees are led to expect a drought, which 
 never comes. The same company are also importing seed of the Hevca 
 from Ceylon and expect to plant that on a large scale . 
 
 With regard to the yield of the Ceara trees in the Nahiku planta- 
 tion, six small incisions produced an ounce of dry rubber, and this 
 tapping may be repeated once a week through the year. 
 
 Mr. jared G. Smith, who is in charge of the Hawaiian experiment 
 Station, is authority for the statement that the Maiiihot trees at Xahiku 
 landing have already produced a pound and a half of dry rubber a year. 
 This assures a good profit. He also mentions the recent incorporation of 
 two more planting companies l)Ut gives no particulars further than that 
 the\- are already planting and the young trees showing marvelous 
 growth. As several leading business men from Hawaii have recently 
 been in Ceylon and the Straits studying rubber culture it is ({uite likely 
 that future planting will be in part, at least, of the Hci'ca. It is worthy 
 of note, that the principal rubber planting in Hawaii has been done by 
 settlers from the United States. These are small beginnings, but begin- 
 nings all the same. Just keep an eye on T. H. and see if in another 
 decade she is not producing good rubber as well as furnishing seed for 
 Formosa, the Philippines, Samoa, and other tropical countries. 
 
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SEP 22 190«^- 
 
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