114 SUPPOSED PREVENTIVE OF THE SHOCK. 



geraioi among the common people, that during three days 

 we could not obtain one, though they are easily caught, and 

 we had promised the Indians two piastres for every strong 

 and vigorous fish. This fear of the Indians is the more 

 2xtrordinary, as they do not attempt to adopt precautions 

 in which they profess to have great confidence. When 

 interrogated on the effect of the tembladores, they never fail 

 to tell the Whites, that they may be touched with impunity 

 while you are chewing tobacco. This supposed influence of 

 tobacco on animal electricity is as general on the continent 

 of South America, as the belief among mariners of the effect 

 of garlic and tallow on the magnetic needle. 



Impatient of waiting, and having obtained very uncertain 

 results from an electric eel which had been brought to us 

 alive, but much enfeebled, we repaired to the Carlo de Bera, 

 to make our experiments in the open air, and at the edge 

 of the water. We set off on the 19th of March, at a 

 very early hour, for the village of Rastro ; thence we were 

 conducted by the Indians to a stream, which, in the time 

 of drought, forms a basin of muddy water, surrounded by 

 fine trees,* the clusia, the amyris, and the mimosa with 

 fragrant flowers. To catch the gymnoti with nets is very 

 difficult, on account of the extreme agility of the fish, which 

 bury themselves in the mud. We would not employ the 

 barbasco, that is to say, the roots of the Piscidea erithyrna, 

 the Jacquinia armillaris, and some species of phyllanthus, 

 which thrown into the pool, intoxicate or benumb the eels. 

 These methods have the effect of enfeebling the gymnoti. 

 The Indians therefore told us that they would "fish with 

 horses," (embarbascar con cuballos.t) We found it difficult 

 to form an idea of this extraordinary manner of fishing; but 

 we soon saw our guides return from the savannah, which 

 they had been scouring for wild horses and mules. They 

 brought about thirty with them, which they forced to enter 

 the pool. 



The extraordinary noise caused by the horses' hoofs, 

 makes the fish issue from the mud, and excites them to the 

 attack. These yellowish and livid eels, resembling large 



* Amyris lateriflora, A. coriacea, I.aurus pichurin, Myroxylon secun- 

 dum, Malpighia reticulata. 



f Meaning tc excite the fish by horses. 



