Produced on the same lines as the “Peeps at Many Lands” series, which has met with such remarkable success, these books will bring the reader into a complete understanding of all the great industries of the British Empire and the world at large. Technicalities being avoided, there are no impedimenta in the way of easy assimilation of the story and the romance of great manufactures. The reader is taken into the atmosphere and confronted with the stern realities of each industry, and when he has laid down the book he will find he has another window in his house to let in the sunshine of knowledge. Each of the three volumes already issued, concerned respectively with tea, sugar, and rubber, has been promoted to a second edition. Such a reception has encouraged the belief that there is a wide sphere of usefulness, and power of pleasure-giving, for a series of Peeps at Industries written from first-hand knowledge. The next book in the series, now in course of preparation, will deal with cocoa, and similarly will be a collection of experience, observation, information, and pictures harvested “on the spot.” CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE ROMANCE OF RUBBER 1 II. THE ROMANCE OF RUBBER (_continued_) 6 III. THE HISTORY OF RUBBER 10 IV. WE VISIT A SERINGAL 17 V. WE GO WITH A SERINGUEIRO ON HIS ROUND 21 VI. MAKING PARA RUBBER IN THE FOREST 26 VII. DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILD RUBBER 29 VIII. DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILD RUBBER (_continued_) 33 IX. DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILD RUBBER (_continued_) 37 X. KINDRED PRODUCTS TO RUBBER 41 XI. THE STORY OF PLANTATION RUBBER 49 XII. HISTORIC DEVELOPMENTS 56 XIII. THE RUBBER BOOM 60 XIV. WILD RUBBER _v._ PLANTATION RUBBER 64 XV. MAKING A RUBBER PLANTATION 69 XVI. LIFE ON A RUBBER PLANTATION 74 XVII. WE VISIT A RAW-RUBBER FACTORY 80 XVIII. RUBBER GOODS 84 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. SMOKING WILD RUBBER ON A PADDLE IN THE BRAZILIAN FOREST _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE 2. TAPPING THE WILD RUBBER-TREES IN THE FOREST NEAR PARA, BRAZIL 17 3. A BALATA BLEEDERS’ CAMP 24