he true rubber vine, whose juice, mingled with the true sap by
the collector when in the forest, adds to the weight; a matter
of importance, because rubber is bought by weight. The
other adulteration gets done by the ladies in the villages
when the collected sap is handed over to -them to prepare
for the markets.
This preparation consists of boiling it in water slightly, and
adding a little salt, which causes the gummy part to separate
and go to the bottom of the pot, where it looks like a thick
cream. ^ The water is carefully poured off this deposit,
which is then taken out and moulded, usually in the hands ;
but I have seen it run into moulds made of small calabashes
with a stick or piece of iron passing through, so that when
the rubber is set this can be withdrawn. A hole being thus
left the balls can be threaded on to a stick, usually five on
one stick, for convenience of transport, i It is during the
moulding process that most of the adulteration gets in.
Down by the side of many of the streams there is a white
chalky-looking clay which is brought up into the villages,
powdered up, and then hung up over the fire in a basket to
attain a uniform smuttiness; it is then worked ‘into the
rubber when it is being made up into balls. Then a good
chunk of Koko, Arum esculentum (Koko is better than yam,
I may remark, because it is heavier), also smoked approximately
the right colour, is often placed in the centre of the'
rubber ball. In fact, anything is put there, that is hopefully
regarded as likely to deceive the white trader.
I once overheard a long discussion between two ladies : “ I
always clay my rubber up well,” says number one. 1 1 think ”
says number two, “ a bit of yam is better, with just a coat of
rubber outside, then he hop . good too much when Mr.___
frows him for floor.” They did not convince each other as to
the superiority of their individual methods, but became very
friendly over the foolishness of a mutual friend, who both
clayed and yammed her rubber to such an extent that when
Mr. “ frowed him for floor he done squat.” • Mr. then
cut him open and “ frowed ” both the pieces at her head a
performance that raised Mr. in their esteem, as it demonstrated
commercial intelligence, a thing universally admired
down here. So great is the adulteration, that most of the
traders have to cut each ball open. Even the Kinsembo
rubber, which is put up in clusters of bits shaped like little
thimbles formed by rolling pinches of rubber between the
thumb and finger, and which one would think difficult to put
anything inside of, has to be cut, because “ the simple children
of nature ” who collect it and bring it to that “ swindling white
trader ” struck upon the ingenious notion that little pieces of
wood shaped like the thimbles and coated by a dip in rubber
were excellent additions to a cluster.
The pure rubber, when it is made, looks like putty, and has
the same dusky-white colour ; but, owing to the balls being
kept in the huts in baskets in the smoke, and in wicker-work
cages in the muddy pools to soak up as much waste as
possible before going into the hands of the traders, they get
almost inky in colour.