

POISONOUS EUPHORBIA. 61 



for my readers, and I will therefore describe the 

 two other poisons in use among the Bush people, 

 and the manner in which they are employed to 

 serve their purpose. 



First, I will advert to the juice of the euphorbia. 

 This is a family of plants all alike foreign to the 

 European eye, although not by any means strictly 

 tropical. Some species possess much more dele- 

 terious matter than others, the most deadly being in 

 appearance like a crooked pole with a bunch of 

 long, hard leaves decorating its summit. When 

 employed by the natives for the purpose of poison- 

 ing, it is collected in quantities on the margin of 



, a small vley or pond of water, when it is beaten 

 between stones till the necessary quantity of the 



; juice impregnates the water. .At night, uncon- 

 scious game, probably thirsting from the hours they 

 lave passed in the sun-dried desert, come to the 

 vley to satisfy their craving for drink, but scarcely 

 have they done so when they become intoxicated, 

 and soon after lie down to sleep the sleep that 

 knows no waking. By this means to death I do 

 not think the victims suffer much pain, for all that 

 I have seen that have been killed in this manner 

 were in the positions they would assume if they 

 lad laid down to take their natural rest. 



It is strange that this poison is much more in- 

 urious to horses, zebras, and quaggas than it is to 

 | loven-hoofed or horned animals. Why I state this 



