130 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



when he kills a snake, he generally extracts the fangs, and 

 keeps them by him. 



Having thus found the necessary ingredients, he scrapes 

 the wourali vine and bitter root into thin shavings, and 

 puts them into a kind of colander made of leaves : this 

 he holds over an earthen pot, and pours water on the 

 shavings : the liquor which comes through has the appear- 

 ance of coffee. When a sufficient quantity has been 

 procured, the shavings are thrown aside. He then bruises 

 the bulbous stalks, and squeezes a proportionate quantity 

 of their juice through his hands into the pot. Lastly, the 

 snakes' fangs, ants, and pepper are bruised, and thrown 

 into it. It is then placed on a slow fire, and as it boils, 

 more of the juice of the wourali is added, according as it 

 may be found necessary, and the scum is taken off with a 

 leaf: it remains on the fire till reduced to a thick syrup of 

 a deep brown colour. As soon as it has arrived at this 

 state, a few arrows are poisoned with it, to try its strength. 

 If it answer the expectations, it is poured out into a 

 calabash, or little pot of Indian manufacture, which is 

 carefully covered with a couple of leaves, and over them 

 a piece of deer's skin, tied round with a cord. They keep 

 it in the most dry part of the hut; and from time to 

 time suspend it over the fire, to counteract the effects of 

 dampness. 



The act of preparing this poison is not considered as a 

 common one : the savage may shape his bow, fasten the 

 barb on the point of his arrow, and make his other imple- 

 ments of destruction, either lying in his hammock, or in the 

 midst of his family ; but, if he has to prepare the wourali- 

 poison, many precautions are supposed to be necessary. 



The women and young girls are not allowed to be 

 present, lest the Yabahou, or evil spirit, should do them 

 harm. The shed under which it has been boiled is 



