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7/28/1967 - Amazônia: Tin in Rodônia by Francis Foland

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS FMF Amaznia Tin Rondonia Man Amazonas July Braz Mr Richard H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Madlson Avenue New York New York i0017 Dear Mr Nolte BRAZIL Rondnia inhospitable corner Amazon basin until recently inhabited Indian tribes scattered rubber gatherers Now Brazilt rapid population increase taking place federal ritory The reason mgration cause discovery I spent several there mining Santa Barbara tropical forest little possible territorial capital Porto Velho where unpaved streets encompassing mlouds Extraction latex hevea brasiliensis called gueiras region provided means discovery exploitation cassiterite It Sta B arbara concession serin heavy found alluvial sands Gladly giving rubber gathering serin_eiros flocking Rondonla Acre Amazonas Par provide manpower Most these Northeast Brazil originally descen dents migrants harsh droughts century alled C OS copper skins their Indian ancestors black features their Portuguese sires The physical characteristics history Euclides manager Santa Barbara typical He small interior Northeastern state Parba Raised poverty heard rumors wonders riches Amazon upper Purus River Acre He lived isolation along tributary stream maintained trail through forest which walked slash rubber trees later collect Soon married began accumulation seven children As concern their education contact civilization He deoided family Northeast Fortaleza capital Cear Along Other squatters shack enrolled children school vings opened Small store But could living He behind north Amapari Araguari region Amap where worke years grimpe_iro_ panning diamonds Again small savings returned family Amazon where access schools house floating which waters Rio Negro With settled search livelihood along Rio Madeira southwest Rondnia where renewed serin activities another years Living anopheles infested jungles tracted kinds malaria which increasingly energy medication combat It therefore welcome offer company CESBRA asked years where living conditions relatively pharmacy provides aralen family lives within hours Porto Velho Another seringueiro Joaquim Pereira Rocha first covered ediments switched garimpeiro operation previous years Rondona produced In eighteen trickled lborious Wasteful panning process Usually working teams garimpeiros shovel alluvium alongside within stream about cubic meter material washed swirled concave receptacle called bateia btell until heavier cassiteritic diments settle bottom This crude method results about potential within material handled When rimpeiro through stream welter potholes piles discarded impurities which rational exploitation unprofitable Rondnia production still major private producing processing enter prise Brazil Compania Estanffera Brasil CESBRA established geological center Porto Velho About mining concession Jacund owned Isaac Sabb called King Amazon began mechanizing under idance experienced FMF along Jamarf River I Billiton Production Oumped Whereas cassiterite mined Brazil totaled exclu sively Amap Paraba Minas Gerais total RondSnia trailed Amap Minas Gerais Gois The still gathering momentum CESBRA continues mPeiros smelter Volta Redonda International companieshave investigate least public knowledge obtained concessions But fervor surrounds exploitation Companies beginning dispute unsurveyed lines peiros resorting murder defend their claims Ministry Mines Brasflia bombarded pressure appeals concession titles Gonsiderable geblogioal sampling indicates reserves which could leading world producer Recovery Rondnia means placer mining easier cheaper instance Bolivia where underground exploitation veins results complex which other minerals separated The cassiterite RondSnia promises content But Brazilian territory still process exploration terrain whose geological atures hidden dense vegetation Typical tropical areas world temperatures heavy rainfall transformed prehistoric lateritic soils usually acidulous Milleniums decomposition greatly reduced volume original bringing about concen trations superficial deposits Tin usually ciated granite outliers relief accompanied drainage Transported sediments often richest resulting existing drainage systems further complicating geologist denying crutch current hydrography Eighty miles Porto Velho CESBRA concession Santa Barbara covers square miles acres heavy rainforest except occasional denuded outcropings The aerial photo graphy altile revealing small hints through stereoscope The geologist therefore manchete footwork search deposits After walking promising behind calls survey system based north south lines through undergrowth concretionary meter intervals along these lines Channel samplings taken these penetrations Apparently accurate convenient especially sandy soils drillings Banka platform drill This portable apparatus designed Dutch engineer island Banka Indonesia It rugged withstanding misuse inexperienced workmen In RondSnia employed operation Men drive casing ground means mallet meanwhile platform which stand rotated enforce percussion action At I meter intervals valve sandbailer lowered bring samples Each these steps carried under trying physical condi tions The geologist favorite among Paulo depends original exploration About surely amost Indian His slightly bowed rubber boots woodsman around world He leads brush second keeps distance avoid flailing manchete Jungle wisdom holds coming through solid footsteps determination rather timidity better assures animals reptiles clear Tramping along behind Paulo demands degree attention The seldom ground which spongy organic matter Every measured avoid spikes holes lifted clear roots vines Decaying trunks hurde skirted hands placed where Paulo grasped avoid painful bites Falls common P himself tripping occasionally Behind tumbles particularly dangerous manchete often slashed saplings leaving oblique spikes sticking inches The Amazon forest diffuse overlay entangled vegetation No plant stands Graduated levels trees block sunlight which throUgh atmosphere occasional sharp edged The majestic stretch upward canopy green leaves In RondSnia three giants f_avira sum_dma ceiba pe_tnd Cast_heira named produces Brazil Portuguese castanho Pa A cluster white encased softball ready plummets through under lying growth ballistic resonance Like trees Amazon castanhiro iduous shedding flowering varies At intermediary height lesser trees babagu luina quinz Both proved valuable To c_abgc babaqu chief value stiff frond which roofs working jungle throws sideless which slung serve weeks If short extract tender heart Civilization yellow babagu manufact soaps cosmetics cooking The quina quin_ ensnarled trunk bearing horny lEendary A nibble coating first tasteless followed pursing bitterness quinine When suffering malarial fevers native strips One takes trees seems working relative others family scrounge At heights epiphytes prasitic plants nestled crotch limbs Gret blobs termite nests leech trunk which further blotched algae lichen boles insides devoured outsides rotted discouraged lumbering industry Amazonia But above forest lianas which literally trees One variety called cip61 savage encoil heavy roots around until kills The festoons these limbing plants swoop sometimes baroque column sometimes sprodts slender standing increases circumference stalactite until rehes The milky substance these vines poisonous native which gives innocllous liquid bleeding quart every metor But fatal danger these trees Because composition water level systems spread laterally proportionately small above ground During months October April atmospheric turbulences cause which easily uproot castnheiro_ sumadma Its heavy wrenching myriad other plants echoes miles through forest To jungle peril crushing weight exceeds snakes animals In rainy season torrential wnoursC suddenly times forest drips steams In season infuses enclosed beneath cover insects swarm In insects dominant charac teristic drainage basin Rio Madeira It seems various regions Amaznia their specialties among flora fauna sometimes depending water level there animals another place birds another flowers For RondSnia insects Bird calls sporadic wings constant Especially white still attuned At times accosted F_0 rmigas vinteo Datros s_aoa_sa_i arrapatos Brazilian vocabulry abounds Though bites poisonous bring immediate suffering delayed effect anopheles which scourge country Malaria prevalent common New York winter Euclides plight repeated again again Paulo shrugs shoulders about brought RondBnia sjeingueiro Amazonas New arriving malsria south usually within couple months first appetite muscular soreness backache compounded fever chills nausea exhaustion The turns yellowish jaundiced Though antimalarial pills proved highly effective educated Brazilian resists takes spasmodically As Latins around world concerned f_o_i liver So forced resort remedy aralen which large dosages optical malfunction At thatch roofed pharmacy apprentice administers needle The tarantula respected dreaded He diameter easily spotted moves awkwardl A seasonal appearing about November early season Ants assortment sizes bites An attack large vinte_quaro suggests hours severe swelling fever The ca_saias herds venomous however their stinging The geologist asleep night awoke great dashed shower invaders Forget thelmosquito draped entangled floor which swarmed voracious little beasts In trail common swath width broom swept clean vegetatiOn debris devoured carried ahead A office recently constructed Santa Barbafor assaying FMF ABOVE The Santa Barbara Left right sleeping quarters carpentry pharmacy dining kitchen grocery store store house sleeping quarters geological samples technicians running battle vermin The termite invaded before construction completed table floor coated their night cleaned morning To discourage rafters saturated creosote seemed enjoy added flavoring In addition close photographs practically impossible early afternoon flies swarm around P ume_s minute groats whose prick brings blood blister In another RndSnia CESBRA workers always their pants inside heavy socks button sleeves secure handkerchiefs under their protect their necks their exposed hands front blisters To finish partial ticks carry typhus graduating insects offer rabies The vampire problem Santa Barbara other plague chief means jungle transport attacked usually doomed return night after night their bitescontaining coagulant sustains hemorrhagic The blood licked sucked It would doing justice nature leave without tioning snakes although specialty Madeira environment The Bushmaster lance habitants AmazSnia snake feared Rondnia supur_f_ anaconda Sloughs dense shrub bamboo avoided possible dangerous water muscular around cannot escaped Basking snake known victim ground finial assault For these hazar discomforts comes rubber The garimpeiro earns poorly about cents concentrate washed sacked But rimpeiro_ passing becoming laborer highly capitalized mechanized operation CESBRA expects modern placer mining operation underway within months Bulldozers pushing jungle scoop reservoir Machinery waiting installed A monitor ejecting water pressure embankments washing bearing sands gravels Settlings pumped specialized sluice palong where heavier materials concentrated gravity sloping conveyor wooden riffles Mineral vibrating tables further recovery process point cassiterite content Sacked loaded trucks thousands kilometers through Diamantino Cuiab Belo Horizonteto reach smelter V Redonda waiting hours Porto Velho airport DC flight delayed Acre I habitues covered building One looking middle snack pouring quantities afezinh successful mining engin finally conceded rampant malaria Up jungle oriented career The other called vacant stare mouth He dragged crippled group group begging money He garimpeiro_ RondSnia falling found This report first proposed series Amaznia explore characteristics potentials The Amazon basin occupies million square miles Brazil large parts Guianas Venezuela Colombia Ecuador Peru Bolivia There renewed interest surveys jects underway develop Sincerely yours Frances Foland Illustration Th__e Ne__w Yo_rke_ Photos FNF Received New York August