It was soon found that the railway and shipping freight charges absorbed a considerable amount of the profits to be obtained in making this tannin extract abroad, and, therefore, extract factories were erected in Argentina.  The process of obtaining the extract is very simple; the logs are first put through a machine which reduces them to chips, the chips are then boiled in water till all soluble matter is extracted from them, and the solution obtained is concentrated down to the consistency of pitch; in this form, after being dried, it is exported, and is used by tanners the world over.  The great necessity and essence of success, in the present way of working the business, is good water and plenty of it.

We do not know who first noticed the tannin material oozing out of these trees, but no doubt attention was called to the fact by pools in the neighbourhood of the trees being often red in colour.  Undoubtedly the Germans first took this business up on a large scale, and to-day they hold an enormous quantity of forest lands.

Hitherto the extract has been brought on to the market in a solid state very much after the style of Burma cutch.  The Santa Fe Land Company have recently produced the material in a fine powdered state, absolutely pure, and containing a great deal less moisture than any other form of extract on the market, and they are about to erect a factory to work this process in connection with their saw mills at Vera.  This new process requires very little water as compared with the old method, and can be adopted, in huge areas hitherto unsuitable for the industry.

About mid-day we approached a plaza, or wood deposit, of the La Gallareta Factory, situated on the Company’s Lands.  Rain had been falling in torrents for days past, and the tracks (called by courtesy “roads”) had one and all become deep crevasses of soft mud, loads of timber had been left here and there in the wood, just wherever the cart conveying it had stuck, and in many places the water was so deep that not a vestige of these obstacles could be seen.  Our coaches had to be driven under (or perhaps we should say “over”) such circumstances as these for about three miles, and this part of our journey was absolutely dangerous; the greatest credit is due to the drivers and those in charge of the party that no serious accident occurred, for, about mid-day, the way was truly terrible, and one never knew when a tree trunk, small or large, lying hidden under the water, would cause a terrific jolt to the cart, despite the utmost efforts on the part of our cocheros.  However, we passed from the extreme danger zone into the comparatively smooth waters of the flooded lands.  So we drove on, our drivers and guides becoming more and more chilled with the rain and cold, but always cheerful, till at last wire fencing and other signs of civilisation marked our approach to the precincts of Las Gamas.  This was indeed a welcome sight to the party, for all were beginning to feel the need of food and shelter, and though the “passengers” in the coaches were comparatively dry, despite the continual downpour, the drivers were wet through long ago and the peons had not been dry since dawn.