58 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AINIERICA 



south. The Apourapoura is nearly one- third the 

 size of the Demerara at Stabroek. For two 

 days you see nothing but level ground, richly 

 clothed in timber. You leave the Siparouni to the 

 right hand, and on the third day come to a little 

 hill. The Indians have cleared about an acre of 

 ground on it, and erected a temporary shed. If 

 it be not intended for provision-ground alone, 

 perhaps the next white man who travels through 

 these remote wilds will find an Indian settlement 

 here. 



Two days after leaving this, you get to a rising 

 ground on the western bank, where stands a sin- 

 gle hut ; and about half a mile in the forest there 

 are a few more; some of them square, and some 

 round with spiral roofs. 



Here the fish called Pacou is very plentiful : it 

 is perhaps the fattest and most delicious fish in 

 Guiana. It does not take the hook, but the Indians 

 decoy it to the surface of the water by means of 

 the seeds of the Crabwood-tree, and then shoot it 

 with an arrow. 



You are now within the borders of Macoushia, 

 inhabited by a different tribe of people, called 

 Macoushi Indians; uncommonly dexterous in the 

 use of the blow-pipe, and famous for their skill 

 in preparing the deadly vegetable poison, com- 

 monly called Wourali. 



It is from this country that those beautiful paro- 

 quets named Kessi-kessi are procured. Here the 

 crystal mountains are found; and here the three 

 different species of the Ara are seen in great 

 abundance. Here, too, grows the tree from which 

 the gum-elastic is got: it is large, and as tall as 



