LEAVES FROM A LOG. 3(>7 



They took him to their chief, an old man, of gigantic stature, who 

 was so enchanted with his playing, that he appointed him musical 

 preceptor to his three sons. It appears they possessed a rude, but 

 not inharmonious flute of very confined power; they were there- 

 fore astonished at the variety of tones of the more perfect instrument. 



With these people, Juan Garcia (the Llanero) led a roaming life, 

 he was well treated, but not suffered to escape until many months 

 had elapsed. He described their religion, which consisted chiefly of 

 adoration of the sun : and gave me a particular account of the method 

 of making their arrow poison, called currari, which is very singular. 

 The reader need scarcely be informed that most Indians possess a 

 peculiar poison of such an extraordinary quality, that if taken in the 

 stomach it is harmless, and yet mixed in the slightest degree with 

 the blood, it causes violent convulsions ; and if no antidote be ap- 

 plied, death will ensue in a few moments. But, strange to say, the 

 flesh of an animal, killed with a poisoned arrow, is by no means in- 

 jurious when eaten. Another advantage of this poison is, that should 

 they wish to take an animal or bird alive, they wound him with a 

 poisoned arrow, the creature is paralyzed, but on the applicaiton of 

 a little salt, sugar, or even cane-juice to the wound, it is immediately 

 restored to health. I am informed that a considerable number of 

 the parrots, monkeys, &c., that find their way to Europe, are ob- 

 tained by being slightly wounded with a poisoned arrow, and then 

 cured by antidotes. Some of the old Spanish historians, and after 

 them, the author of " Les Recherches Philosophiques sur les Ame- 

 ricains," if my memory does not fail me, have noticed this poison, or 

 one like it ; but they tell us that it is the jnice of the manchineel 

 apple. 



In this they are mistaken, I have tried experiments with the man- 

 chineel juice, and can pronounce that it is not the same which the 

 Indians use for their barbs. In the first place, the arrow-poison is 

 harmless if taken into the stomach, while the manchineel apple, if 

 eaten, becomes a corrosive poison. Secondly, the manchineel, if 

 rubbed on the skin, causes a blister : no such effect is produced by 

 the currari, unless the skin be cut. Thirdly, the latter, if introduced 

 into the blood, causes convulsions, and in a few moments death ; 

 whereas, if an animal be punctured with an instrument dipped in 

 manchineel juice, it merely aggravates the wound, rendering it a little 

 more difficult to cure than a common puncture. It is true, that the 

 Indians may have the knowledge of preparing an arrow-poison from 

 the manchineel juice ; but I think that I may safely contradict those 

 qualities attributed to it in its natural state by the Abbe de Paino 

 and others. 



The account Juan Garcia gave of the process of manufacturing the 

 currari, I shall relate according to his narration as nearly as I can re- 

 collect : 



" The currari is made by the Choqua Indians but once a year. 

 They compound a large quantity : not only for their own use, but as 

 an article of barter with other tribes of Indians ; to wit, such as are 

 Christians, who are forbidden by the missionaries to make it on ac- 

 count of the incantations performed on these occasions; but the 



