368 LEAVES FllOM A LOO. 



influence of the priests is not powerful enough to prevent their using 

 it. They choose the night to manufacture the currari. For this 

 purpose a large canari (or earthen vessel) is obtained, and suspended 

 over a fire ; in this canari is placed a quantity of baleful vegetables, 

 the juices of others, and the poison of several kinds of snakes, 

 extracted from their jaws; over the vessel is hung a quantity of 

 yellow toads, cut open so that the heat oi the fire melts their fat, 

 which drops into the canari. The oldest woman of the tribe stirs up 

 this " hell-broth," and presides over the ceremony as high priestess ; 

 while the rest sing a sort of wild chorus, partly addressed to 

 the sun and partly to the hag, celebrating her happiness in living 

 to see that night, and foretelling that she will shortly be with their re- 

 splendent god. In this chorus the old woman joins, never stirring 

 from the fatal cauldron, while the rest of the tribe dance round the 

 " charmed pot," at first making a small circle ; but as the poison 

 becomes stronger and more dangerous, the vapours are proportionally 

 pestiferous; they, therefore, extend the ring. The high priestess 

 does not shrink from her fatal duty ; anon the fumes of the canari 

 become more and more pernicious, and the circle becomes wider and 

 wider ; but they continue singing and dancing round it until the 

 canari comes to its climax, and the old woman is killed by the poison- 

 ous vapours. She falls suddenly, and dies without a groan ! On this 

 completion to their rites the whole tribe set up a terrific yell, and retire 

 to await the event of their labours. The fire is allowed to burn out, 

 and the poison is the next morning found in a congealed state. It is a 

 black, solid substance, and when required for use, must be moistened 

 with bitter cassada juice, itself a poison unless purified by heat. 

 On the ensuing morning, the woman next in years is elected to 

 preside over a similar ceremony to take place the following year. 

 She is looked on with envy by all the females of her race, and treated 

 with kindness, distinction, and honour by the whole of the tribe." 



Such is the account of Juan Garcia of this extraordinary ceremony, 

 he having been present at its celebration. 



Nor the least remarkable circumstance in the effects produced by 

 this singular poison is, that during its composition a person is killed 

 within a certain range of its vapours, while after it is made it 

 may be taken into the stomach without injury. 



