46 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



woods. A few Pappaw, Cotton, and mountain 

 cabbage-trees, are scattered round them. 



At one of these habitations a small quantity of 

 the Wourali-poison was procured. It was in a 

 little gourd. The Indian who had it said that he 

 had killed a number of Wild Hogs with it, and 

 two Tapirs. Appearances seemed to confirm what 

 he said; for on one side it had been nearly 

 taken out to the bottom, at different times, which 

 probably would not have been the case had the 

 first or second trial failed. 



Its strength was proved on a middle-sized dog. 

 He was wounded in the thigh, in order that there 

 might be no possibility of touching a vital part. 

 In three or four minutes he began to be affected, 

 smelt at every little thing on the ground around 

 him, and looked wistfully at the wounded part. 

 Soon after this he staggered, laid himself down, 

 and never rose more. He barked once, though 

 not as if in pain. His voice was low and weak; 

 and in a second attempt it quite failed him. He 

 now put his head betwixt his fore-legs, and rais- 

 ing it slowly again, he fell over on his side. His 

 eye immediately became fixed, and though his 

 extremities every now and then shot convulsively, 

 he never showed the least desire to raise up his 

 head. His heart fluttered much from the time he 

 lay down, and at intervals beat very strong; then 

 stopped for a moment or two, and then beat 

 again; and continued faintly beating several 

 minutes after every other part of his body seemed 

 dead. 



In a quarter of an hour after he had received 

 the poison he was quite motionless. 



