102 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AINIERICA 



European powers publicly disowned them. They, 

 on the other hand, maintained that injustice on 

 the part of Spain. first forced them to take up 

 arms in self 'd'efeDce; and that, whilst they kept 

 icviolahle the laws' "which they had framed for 

 their -own common benefit and protection, they 

 had a right to consider as foes those who treated 

 them as outlaws. Under this impression they 

 drew the sword, and rushed on as though in 

 lawful war, and divided the spoils of victory in 

 the scale of justice. 



After leaving St. Thomas's a severe tertian 

 ague every now and then kept putting the travel- 

 ler in mind that his shattered frame, "starting 

 and shivering in the inconstant blast, meagre and 

 pale — the ghost of what it was" — wanted re- 

 pairs. Three years elapsed after arriving in 

 England before the ague took its final leave of 

 him. 



During that time several experiments were 

 made with the wourali-poison. In London an 

 ass was inoculated with it, and died in twelve 

 minutes. The poison was inserted into the leg 

 of another, round which a bandage had been pre- 

 viously tied a little above the place where the 

 wourali was introduced. He walked about as 

 usual, and ate his food as though all were right. 

 After an hour had elapsed the bandage was un- 

 tied, and ten minutes after death overtook him. 



A she-ass received the wourali-poison in the 

 shoulder, and died apparently in ten minutes. 

 An incision was then made in its windpipe, and 

 through it the lungs were regularly inflated for 

 two hours with a pair of bellows. Suspended 



