Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 2 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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I Am Surprised That Some
Chemists Consider The Black Caoutchouc Of Commerce, As Being Mixed
With Soot, Blackened By The
Smoke to which it has been exposed.) When
we reflect on the immense variety of plants in the equinoctial regions
That are capable of furnishing caoutchouc, it is to be regretted that
this substance, so eminently useful, is not found among us at a lower
price. Without cultivating trees with a milky sap, a sufficient
quantity of caoutchouc might be collected in the missions of the
Orinoco alone for the consumption of civilized Europe.* (* We saw in
Guiana, besides the jacio and the curvana, two other trees that yield
caoutchouc in abundance; on the banks of the Atabapo the guamaqui with
jatropha leaves, and at Maypures the cime.) In the kingdom of New
Grenada some successful attempts have been made to make boots and
shoes of this substance without a seam. Among the American nations,
the Omaguas of the Amazon best understand how to manufacture
caoutchouc.
Four days had passed, and our canoe had not yet arrived at the
landing-place of the Rio Pimichin. "You want for nothing in my
mission," said Father Cereso; "you have plantains and fish; at night
you are not stung by mosquitos; and the longer you stay, the better
chance you will have of seeing the stars of my country. If your boat
be destroyed in the portage, we will give you another; and I shall
have had the satisfaction of passing some weeks con gente blanca y de
razon." ("With white and rational people." European self-love usually
opposes the gente de razon to the gente parda, or coloured people.)
Notwithstanding our impatience, we listened with interest to the
information given us by the worthy missionary.
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