GYMNOTUS, OK KLECTRICAL BBL. // 



is the more extraordinary in these countries, as they pretend 

 that any one with tobacco in his mouth may touch a gymnotus 

 with impunity. If the Indian had full confidence in this pre- 

 servative, which is altogether false, why did he not avail him- 

 self of it to gain the ten francs which we had promised for 

 every living electric eel that was brought to us ? The love of 

 the marvellous is so great among the natives, that they often 

 maintain and spread abroad as facts what they themselves 

 are far from putting faith in. It is thus that man thinks he 

 must needs add to the wonders of Nature, as if Nature was 

 not of herself sufficiently mysterious, grand and imposing. 



After three days of fruitless attempts in the town of Cala- 

 bozo, during which we received only one eel alive, and that 

 in a very weak state, we resolved to transport ourselves to 

 the spot, and make our experiments in the open air, on the 

 banks of the pools in which the gymnoti abounded. We 

 reached first a little village called Rastro de Abaxo; thence 

 the Indians conducted us to Cano de Bera, a muddy stag- 

 nant pool of water, but surrounded with a beautiful vegeta- 

 tion of the Clusia rosea, the Hymenea Courbaril, the large 

 Indian figs, and Mimosas with odoriferous flowers. We w T ere 

 much surprised on being told that thirty wild horses must be 

 caught in the neighbouring savannahs, to serve for the fish- 

 ery of the electric eels. The idea of this mode of fishing, 

 which they call embarbascar con cabal los, (to stupify by means 

 of horses,) is truly very odd. The word barbasco signifies the 

 roots of Jacqidnia, of Piscidia, or of any other poisonous 

 plant, by the contact of which a great extent of water re- 

 ceives in an instant the power of killing, or at least of intoxi- 

 cating or benumbing, the fishes. The latter rise to the sur- 

 face of the water when they are poisoned in this way. As 

 the horses driven here and there in a pool cause the same 

 effect with respect to the frightened fishes, the natives, con- 

 founding cause and effect, call the two modes of fishing by 

 the same name. 



Whilst our host was explaining to us this strange mode of 

 catching fish in this country, the troop of horses and mules 

 arrived. The Indians formed a sort of battue, and encircling 

 the poor quadrupeds closely on every side, compelled them 

 to enter the pool. I can but imperfectly depict the interest- 

 ing spectacle which the attack of the eels upon the horses 

 presented to us. The Indians, holding long canes and har- 

 poons, place themselves around the pool; some of them climb 

 the trees whose branches project over the surface of the water; 

 and all of them by their shouts and their weapons prevent the 



