WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 85 



duration, and the Indian, following the direction 

 he has gone, is sure to find him dead. 



It is natural to imagine that, when a slight 

 wound only is inflicted, the game will make its 

 escape. Far otherwise; the wourali-poison al- 

 most instantaneously mixes with blood or water, 

 so that if you wet your finger, and dash it along 

 the poisoned arrow in the quickest manner possi- 

 ble, you are sure to carry off some of the poison. 

 Though three minutes generally elapse before the 

 convulsions come on in the wounded bird, still a 

 stupor evidently takes place sooner, and this stu- 

 por manifests itself by an apparent unwillingness 

 in the bird to move. This was very visible in a 

 dying fowl. 



Having procured a healthy full-grown one, a 

 short piece of a poisoned blow-pipe arrow was 

 broken off and run up into its thigh, as near as 

 possible betwixt the skin and the flesh, in order 

 that it might not be incommoded by the wound. 

 For the first minute it walked about, but walked 

 very slowly, and did not appear the least agitated. 

 During the second minute it stood still, and began 

 to peck the ground; and ere half another had 

 elapsed, it frequently opened and shut its mouth. 

 The tail had now dropped, and the wings almost 

 touched the ground. By the termination of the 

 third minute, it had sat down, scarce able to sup- 

 port its head, which nodded, and then recovered 

 itself, and then nodded again, lower and lower ev- 

 ery time, like that of a weary traveller slumbering 

 in an erect position ; the eyes alternately open and 

 shut. The fourth minute brought on convulsions, 

 and life and the fifth terminated to2:ether. 



