76 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



the gall of the fish to smear upon the lines. 

 With all his care, however, he does not always 

 succeed; something more may be done. Some 

 tiny fish has been hooked, and the man takes it 

 up, blows into its mouth and then whispers that 

 he will let it go if it tells the bigger fish to come. 

 But the little fish, even though it is supposed to 

 have called its bigger friends, is not thrown back 

 for fear it may inform them of the hook. 



Game animals are very sharp in some respects, 

 but in others are thought foolish. If the Indian 

 requires to prepare his meat while out hunting, 

 he must always take care to remove the barbecue 

 before leaving the place ; otherwise the game will 

 be frightened from the neighbourhood. 



The special beena for an expert marksman is 

 a Caladium with irregular violet splashings ; 

 possibly it suggests to him the shot wounds of an 

 animal with their blood tricklings. A somewhat 

 similar leaf is used to make a boy learn quickly ; 

 it is covered with crimson blotches. The learning- 

 is, of course, that of a hunter or fisherman. 



The Peaiman has his own special beena, but 

 he does not appear to be anything like the witch- 

 doctor of the negroes. The Indian firmly believes 

 in spiritual enemies, but as far as we can gather 

 there are no charms to cause injury to other men. 



