INTRODCUTION. 103 



long, and is made of the upper part of the stem 

 of a reed {gynericuni) which is very common 

 throughout Guiana. A piece of lance-wood or 

 yari-yari, of about twelve inches in length, is 

 firmly fixed to it, which is armed w^ith an iron 

 point consisting of tw^o pieces, namely, the pointed 

 one to inflict the wound with, and a second being 

 bent backward, as a barb or counter-hook. They are 

 fixed with curauya or curawatu, the fibres of the bro- 

 melia above alluded to, and are well coated with 

 caran or mani, a mixture of resin and bees-wax. 

 Through the frequent intercourse which the Indians 

 have with the coast, iron is in no great scarcity ; 

 nevertheless, where it is not at their command, they 

 use monkey-bones instead, ani among the savage 

 tribes, where iron is a precious article, the greater 

 part of the arrow-points are made of monkey- 

 bones. 



A peculiar arrow is used for shooting the deli- 

 cious fish called pacu. They are stronger than the 

 generality of arrows, and are nearly six feet in 

 length. They are called puya by the Caribs and 

 Macusis, and their lower part is not feathered. 

 A long string is attached to the arrow's point, 

 which detaches itself from the shaft. The end of 

 the long string is kept round the little finger of 

 the left hand when the arrow is shot off"; and if 

 the fish be struck, the shaft detaches itself, and 

 the fish is hauled in. The line is sometimes 

 plaited the length of the arrow, and the string 

 attached to a kind of noose. Of a similar con- 



