KIlDllKSJAX XATIXI. PolSdNS. 357 



lowed Id (li\. Any I lia\<.' seen was ehooolale colouretl. or nearly 

 black, riie composition of the poison, so far as 1 can learn, was 

 ])rett\ nincli as follows : (u) Snake ])(jison. usually cobra or 

 \iper: (h) ilie juices of certain plants sucli as linpliorbia, i)ro- 

 bably striata, Acocantlicra venenata. The poison basics of the 

 snake were extracted, dried and pounded into dust, and mixed 

 either with lutpliorbia or AeoeaulJiera to make it set. It was 

 boiled repeatedly until it obtained the re(|uired degree of con- 

 sistency, usually that of very thick jelly, and of the colour 

 of chocolate. When smeared on the arrows it adheres hrmlv 

 and soon dries. I once asked a Masurwa Bushman if he ever 

 used Mamba poison, but the way in which he answered the 

 {|uestion left no doubt in my mind that he considered this snake 

 much too aggressive and deadly to interfere with. I have been 

 informed that other ingredients and juices are mixed with the 

 poison, such as Amaryllis disticha, poisonous spiders and cater- 

 l)illars ; but I am unable to vouch for the accuracy of this state- 

 ment. Some Bushmen have told me that they never used snake 

 poison, but only the juices of plants, some of which have already 

 been mentioned. The effects of the poison on animals and man 

 seems to be pretty much the same as snake poison. The Bush- 

 men that I have had any relations with most emphaticallv dis- 

 claim any innnimity from their own poison or from snake bite, 

 nor do they seem to have any specific for it, in spite of what is 

 ])o])ularly re])orted to the contrary. The other natives often say 

 that the Bushmen have wonderful cures for snake bite, but T 

 never heard any of these people themselves make any such claim. 

 Of course, it is possible that a Bushman once bitten by a snake, 

 and recovering, might attain a certain degree of immunity, but 

 I have not met with any individuals I have known a Basuto 

 catch puff" adders readilv enough. l)ut he did not seem to ascribe 

 his dexteritx', in this respect, to any immunity from the bite of 

 the snake. In war the arrows of the Bushmen were greatly 

 feared 1)y their enemies, and the slightest scratch was usually 

 fatal. Hence although relentlessly j^ersecuted and killed off 

 whenever possible. the\' were held in wholesome resi)ect by their 

 neighbours. 



The Biishmen ( ccasionally use a species of Iin['liorbia to 

 |)oison pools and pans for game, and where their enemies might . 

 drink, but the practice never was extensive. The plants were 

 mashed and thrown into the water till the pool became im])reg- 

 nated with the |x^i.son. The ])oison did not affect the meat. 



The use of i)oisonous plants for religious and medicinal pur- 

 lX3ses is common to all natives of South Africa, Bushmen and 

 Bantu. The war doctors often give the armies various decoc- 

 tions to make them invulnerable to bullets and spears, or to make 

 them victorious in battle. Some of the ingredients of these war 

 medicines are poisonous, such as Phytolacca abyssinica, strict a. 

 and so on. Cannabis sativa is also used to make the warriors mad. 

 if anv ])articularly dangerous expedition is to be undertaken. De- 

 coctions of these plants, sometimes compounded with ants, bits 



