Opening Up The Brazilian Jungle.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18673, 30 January 1929, Page 14

Opening Up The Brazilian Jungle.

A VAST RUBBER VENTURE.

ii\ BOA VISTA, FORDLAXDIA, BRAZIL, December 5. The water-front of the Ford plan tation, ninety miles above Santarem, On the Tapajos River, occupies one of the most beautiful of the many attractive sites on this great river which joins the greatest of the world s rivers, the Amazon, at Santarem. On the entire journey up the Tapajos, one has the impression qf traversing a great lake, for the average width ©f the river through this distance is five miles, widening out at places to more than seven miles. The water is clear blue, in happy contrast to the yellowish waters of the Amazon. While one side of the nearly-quadri-lateral area of the 4,000,000-acre plantation comes close to the Tapajos, only twelve miles of the river front has been purchased by the Ford Motor Company, from the small owners who lor many years have lived in their scattered huts on the river-banks, finding their chief income from the wild rubber trees near by. In the centre of this twelve-mile stretch, on the east bank of the river, and at a point where the stream is at least five miles wide, the Ford plantation water front rises abruptly to an elevation of 50 feet, within 100 yards of the water’s edge, and continues on a sharp up grade to ground varying from 100 to 200 feet elevation within ohe mile from the river. On this sloping area, originally densely covered by tall trees and jungle growth, about sixty acres of trees have been felled, leaving on the high banks of the south shore many great trees for parking and shade. The future homes of the Ford executives of the plantation are to be built there. The remainder of this sixty acres has been razed, leaving only a few trees. Here will be built the warehouse, the sawmill* the power plant, the company stores, quarters for unmarried labourers. A site has been left for a factory in the future, should it be determined to undertake at this point more than the mere gathering and preparation of raw product ready for shipping. A site has been reserved for a public park, with library, theatre, school and churches. For curing raw rubber, extensive facilities will be required, and ample space has been provided for this purpose. At present a temporary house, 40 by 60 feet, of light frame and thatched roof and sides, is located on the brow of the hill toward the river. Near this is a small temporary structure, part native thatch construction, and part lumber provided by the small temporary sawmill on the top of the hill. Piles of native woods have been prepared for initial building operations. A larger sawmill is being shipped in. The small house of combination structure is the temporary home of Raimundo Monteiro da Costa, who Las charge of operations under the general direction of Captain E. Oxholm, who is compelled to spend much time up and down the river between Para and Boa Vista, organising transportation. At this time of the year, all rivers are low. The shallows at Boim, about half-way between Santarem and Boa Vista, offer no channel of greater depth than 14 feet. Hence the Lake Ormoc and Lake Farge are discharging cargoes to lighters at Santarem. In the foreground of the Boa Vista site, about 100 yards from the river, is a great frame building, about 50 by 250 feet, constructed of heavy hardwood. Another 100 yards back of this structure is the first unit of men’s quarters, a long one-storey building housing about 100 men. and provided with a dining-room and kitchen. Close to the north end of this building is the temporary blacksmith and carpentering quarters. Inland and up the sloping grade 300 yards farther, at the top of the first abrupt grade from the river, is the first hospital unit, nearly finished. This building is approximately 50 by 200 feet. In an abrupt niche in the southern extent of the hill, which will be the site of the officials’ homes, and at a distance of 50 yards from the sandy beach of the river, is the old hacienda, “Boa Vista,” the property of Senhor Francisco Franco, until purchased recently by the Ford Motor Co., along with other small riverside holdings in this locality. The old hacienda was built many years ago by Senhor Franco’s father, who also owned and passed on to the son the more extensive property and buildings across the river from Boa Vista. The building was made of tile and brick, with the old type of tile on the roof, broad verandahs, six spacious rooms, and with a great open southern end for cooking connecting with the servants’ quarters. The view of the river, the green hills beyond, showing even at so great a distance the outlines of ancient giants of the tropical forest, is truly beautiful. Water supply for the plantation base will be taken from the Tapajos River. One of the first tasks to be undertaken by R. D. Chatfield. construction engineer of the base, is the building of a water intake far out in the river, and a filtration plant. The natives along the Tapajos River use the water freely without boiling or filtration. Samples of the water have been analysed and found free from bacteria. But it is tropical water, flowing very sluggishly, and subject to a drainage intake during the rainy season, December to April, that causes it to rise some thirteen feet above the summer level. The company will take no chances in provision of the domestic water supply. On arriving here Septemer 18, Dr

IL. S. Fallis immediately made the •rounds of the living quarters of the emplo)-ees, of which there are at present 150, under the supervision of Senhor da Costa. Immediate steps were taken for safe temporary disposal of garbage and drains. Dr Fallis will examine every man employed at the plantation, administering to every one of them cure for hookworm, which they may have in incipient stage of development. Any employee who shows an enlarged spleen, evidence of malaria, will be treated for the disease and isolated until cured. To prevent the recurrence of malaria at the plantation, the doctor and his staff will not only supervise the drainage and cleaning-up of two small creeks, one on either side of the main building site, but will keep an eye on the condition of the people for miles up and down the Tapajos River. In our journey up the Tapajos in the launch “Hilda,” two days ago, Captain E. Oxholm, general manager of plantation operations, put in at a native home about twenty miles below Boa Vista. Here we found the entire family, grandfather and grandmother, sons and daughters and all their children, had been through a severe siege of malaria. Dr Fallis left them a generous quantity of quinine. Natives up and down the river, as well as employees on the plantation, are grateful for any relief from malaria, which is likely to strike any time a person who has the disease visits the region. Such a visit gives the malaria mosquito—the female Anopheles—a chance to begin the business of getting a supply of malaria germs and distributing them, in multiplied numbers. At Boa Vista there had been an epidemic of malaria one month ago, but by the free and persistent use of quinine, Senhor da Costa had cleared up the disease in the camp. To-day there are no active cases. Dr Fallis also plans to institute weekly examinations of all labourers on the plantation. He believes that if they can be freed from hookworm and malaria, are given sanitary conditions, and are properly nourished, the battle will be won in the medical department of Boa Vista. As we approached the dock at Boa Vista, a temporary structure, we saw the river steamer, the Tuchachua, discharging lumber for building operations. A line of native workmen were carrying the long, heavy hardwood boards from the steamer. Some of these men were apparently in robust health, some of unusual muscular development. But many of them gave evidence of having lived, perhaps for years, on a poorly selected diet. The majority of them had suffered, at some time, from malaria or hookworm, or both. As a lot of workmen, however, they presented a fair appearance of physical ability, and there is no doubt of their willingness to work faithfully and efficiently, provided they have capable overseers to show them what to do and how to do it. Mr Chatfield, who was in our party, had not been at Boa Vista two hours before he made plans for the clearing of a runway from the river’s edge. To-day he has the piling well driven, and before the two lighters now on their way up from the Lake Farge and the Lake Ormoc, at Santarem, with the first load of freight, arrive he will have a skidway built and a steam winch ready to make short work of unloading lighters. Captain Oxholm explained that the same attention to proper housing will be given labourers as is given officials of the company. On the property north from the working buildings of the plant, and on the side of the town site opposite the homes of the officials of the company, homes for the married labourers will be built and furnished free to them. These will be built as rapidly as lumber and carpenters can be obtained. A company store where family supplies may be purchased will be built and stocked as quickly as possible. The general Ford plan of supplying the necessities of life, from this store at a low cost to employees of the company will be the rule, Captain Oxholm said. This will be a new note in the economics of the rubber industry in Brazil. At present the labourers at Boa Vista are receiving a wage of three milreis (about 37 cents) a day, with board and housing and medical care free. The wage is high for such labour in Brazil. The result is apparently entire contentment on the part of the labourers. There appears to be opening a new era for the “caboclo”—the common labourer—who formerly led a precarious and sickly life, gathering a little rubber where he could find the wild rubber trees; catching fish from the river; making farinha from the mandioca plant; gathering native fruits and periodically suffering from diseases of the tropics. In Para, in the home of Governor Dionysio Rentes; on the streets of the capital city of the State; at the river ports as we came up. Santarem, Gurupa. Aveiros, Boim, Boa Vista—there was everywhere the same turning of hopeful eye toward the plantation at Boa Vista. I have not heard any citizen of Brazil express doubt of the ultimate success of the project. A great industry and a city of fair size are in the rrtaking of Boa Vista. What foundations there are here at Boa Vista for this hopeful prospect 1 shall indicate in another article. (In his next article Mr Smith tells of a trip through the jungle of the Ford concession.) (Copyright by the “ Star ” and the North American Newspaper Alliance. All rights reserved.)