88 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



Podostemaceae. These are something like sea- 

 weeds in general appearance, and they are enabled 

 to cling to the great boulders by means of a 

 sucking-disk. When the dry season comes the 

 leaves shrivel, but pretty pink flowers come out 

 to decorate the boulders. When the river is in 

 flood they are hidden with the rocks below the 

 foaming waters, but later chains of boulders and 

 hollow pools everywhere appear. This is the 

 time for shooting, not the falls, but the fishes. 



The Indian takes his bow and fish-arrows to 

 look for arapaima. His arrows are ingeniously 

 arranged so that when the fish dives, the shaft 

 is loosened from the head and a long cord is 

 unwound, but not detached from head or shaft. 

 The fisherman stands up on one of the boulders, 

 which are often quite slippery, and carefully 

 watches for a sign of the fish. He draws his 

 bow, and on the faintest ripple, swish goes the 

 arrow and the fish is struck. Down goes the 

 arapaima, but soon the arrovv-shaft is seen 

 floating and bobbing up and down, following the 

 monster in all its struggles. Presently it comes 

 up and is again shot, until at last, weakened by loss 

 of blood, it is either drawn in by one of the lines 

 or fetched by swimming. 



When the water is not so low, shooting is also 



