The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎230v] (131/172)

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THE MONTHLY RECORD.
intended to explore the two others, the Kuluene to the east, and the Ronuro to the
west, in his second expedition. Through the ignorance of his guide, however, the
expedition was led to a western tributary of the Kuluene, called the Kuliseu. This
was explored along with the lower Kuluene, but want of time and provisions pre
vented the completion of the entire programme. This is what has now been done
by Dr. Meyer. On May 11, 1896, he and bis companion, Dr. Ranke, started from
Guy aba, and, following with few deviations the route of the first Xingii expedition,
reached the Paranatinga, one of the higher tributaries of the Tapajoz, and descended
it for a certain distance. The expedition then turned east, and after a three
weeks’ land journey reached the Ronuro, the western headwater of the Xingii,
and ascended and descended it to the confluence with the Batovy, and that with
the Kuluene, and made a survey of its course. The Kuluene was now attempted,
but its rapid current compelled them to abandon the boat journey; but the whole
district between the Kuliseu and the Kuluene was explored during a three weeks’
march. The Kuluene proved to be much less important than the Ronuro, whicli
latter is accordingly regarded by the travellers as the true source of the Xingii.
The expedition reached Cuyaba again in December, with rich ethnographical
and natural history collections and careful topographical surveys .—Peter manna
MMeilungtn, February, 1897.
The Bolivian Rubber Industry. —A useful summary of the history and
present prospects of the Bolivian rubber industry has been published in pamphlet
form by Manual V. Ballivian, of La Paz, being a reprint of articles which originally
appeared in the journal LI Telegrafo. As the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. held an official position in the
mission sent by the Bolivian government to the north-east territories and the depart
ment of Beni, in which the industry is carried on, he is entitled to speak with
authority on the subject. He first traces the development of the rubber trade from
its small beginnings during the palmy days of the export of chinchona, when the
voyages of the bark-colleclors into Brazil for the disposal of that commodity first
called their attention to the flourishing rubber industry of the Brazilian provinces.
Ihis was in about 1864, when the fiist serious attempt at rubber exploitation in
Bolivia was made by Don Santos Meicado, but for some years little success was
attained, owing to the superior advantages possessed by the Brazilians, which led
to an exodus of population from the Beni into the rubber forests of Brazil. The
great impetus to the Bolivian industry was given by the explorations of Dr. Edwin
Heath {Proceedings 1883, Xo. 6) in 1880, which threw open a wider area
of rubber-producing country, and ltd to a rush to the Beni, comparable to that to
the Californian goldfields. One of the most enterprising pioneers was Dr. Antonio
Vaca Diez, whose writings, together with the information collected by the above-
mentioned Don Santos Mercado, have furnished some of the most reliable details on
the subject. At the present day, the chief hindrances to the development of the
industry arise, firstly, from a want of sufficient organization in the work of collect
ing the rubber, the population being scanty, and the means of subsistence inade
quately provided ; and, secondly, from the obstacles to navigation, which make
transport difficult. Both these points have received the attention of the Bolivian
government, and the road post the cataracts of the Madeira, which has taken the
place of the old railway j reject, was, in 1896, approaching completion. The second
part of the pamphlet gives details respecting the mode of collecting the rubber, and
statistics of the present state of the industry.
Volcanoes of Salvador and South Eastern Guatemala. —To the January
number of Petermanns MUtedungen Dr. K. Sapper contributes an account of the
results of his observalions in this region in the beginning of 1895, accompanying