WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 133 



poor victim, from the time he receives his wound till 

 death comes to his relief. 



When a native of Macoushia goes in quest of feathered 

 game or other birds, he seldom carries his how and arrows. 

 It is the blow-pipe he then uses. This extraordinary tube 

 of death is, perhaps one of the greates natural curiosities 

 of Guiana. It is not found in the country of the Ma- 

 coushi. Those Indians tel you that it grows to the south- 

 west of them, in the wilds which extend betwixt them 

 and the Eio Negro. The reed must grow to an amazing 

 length, as the part the Indians use is from ten to eleven 

 feet long, and no tapering can be perceived in it, one end 

 being as thick as the other. It is of a bright yellow 

 colour, perfectly smooth both inside and out. It grows 

 hollow ; nor is there the least appearance of a knot or 

 joint throughout the whole extent. The natives call it 

 Ourah. This, of itself, is too slender to answer the end 

 of a blow-pipe ; but there is a species of palm a, larger 

 and stronger, and common in Guiana, and this the Indians 

 make use of as a case, in which they put the ourah. It is 

 brown, susceptible of a fine polish, and appears as if it 

 had joints five or six inches from each other. It is called 

 Samourah, and the pulp inside is easily extracted, by 

 steeping it for a few days in water. 



Thus the ourah and samourah, one within the other, 

 form the blow-pipe of Guiana. The end which is applied 

 to the mouth is tied round with a small silk-grass cord, to 

 prevent its splitting ; and the other end, which is apt to 

 strike against the ground, is secured by the seed of the 

 Acuero fruit, cut horizontally through the middle, with a 

 hole made in the end, through which is put the extremity 

 of the blow-pipe. It is fastened on with string on the 

 outside, and the inside is filled up with wild bees'-wax. 



The arrow is from nine to ten inches Ions. It is made 



