WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 59 



any in the forest. The wood has much the ap- 

 pearance of sycamore. The gum is contained in 

 the bark: when that is cut through, it oozes out 

 very freely : it is quite white, and looks as rich as 

 cream : it hardens almost immediately as it issues 

 from the tree ; so that it is very easy to collect a 

 ball, by forming the juice into a globular shape as 

 fast as it comes out: it becomes nearly black by 

 being exposed to the air, and is real India-rubber 

 without undergoing any process. 



The elegant crested bird called Cock of the Eock, 

 admirably described by Buffon, is a native of the 

 woody mountains of Macoushia. In the daytime, 

 he retires amongst the darkest rocks, and only 

 comes out to feed a little before sunrise, and at 

 sunset: he is of a gloomy disposition, and, like 

 the Houtou, never associates with the other birds 

 of the forest. 



The Indians, in the just-mentioned settlement, 

 seemed to depend more on the wourali-poison for 

 killing their game than upon anything else. They 

 had only one gun, and it appeared rusty and neg- 

 lected; but their poisoned weapons were in fine 

 order. Their blow-pipes hung from the roof of 

 the hut, carefully suspended by a silk-grass cord ; 

 and on taking a nearer view of them, no dust 

 seemed to have collected there, nor had the spider 

 spun the smallest web on them; which showed 

 that they were in constant use. The quivers were 

 close by them, with the jaw-bone of the fish Pirai 

 tied by a string to their brim, and a small wicker- 

 basket of wild cotton, which hung down to the 

 centre; they were nearly full of poisoned arrows. 

 It was with difficulty these Indians could be per- 



