ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 487 



where tempefts are both fo dreadful and frequent, muft be of the higheft advantage. 

 And to this Caloto owes its reputation for bells. 



In the valleys of Neyba, and others within the jurifdidion of Popayan, is a very re- 

 markable infed, particularly famous for the power of the fmall quantity of venom in it. 

 This infeft, which is fhaped like a fpider, is much lefs than a bug. Its common name 

 is coya, but others call it coyba ; its colour is of a fiery red, and, like fpiders, it is ge- 

 nerally found in the corners of walls, and among the herbage. Its venom is of fuch a 

 malignity, that, on fqueezing the infed, if any happen to fall on the fkin of either man 

 or beaft, it imm&diately penetrates into the flelh, and caufes large tumours, which are 

 foon fucceeded by death. The only remedy hitherto known is, on the firfl appearance 

 of a fwelling, to fmge the party all over the body with the flame of jflraw, or long grafs, 

 growing in thofe plains. In order to this, the Indians of that country lay hold of the 

 patient, fome by the feet, and others by the hands, and with great dexterity perform the 

 operation, after which the perfon is reckoned to be out of danger. But it is to be ob- 

 ferved, that though this infefl be fo very noxious, yet fqueezing it between the palms 

 of the hands is attended with no bad confequence ; from whence the plain inference is, 

 that the callus, ufual on the hands of moft people, prevents the venom from reaching the 

 blood. Accordingly the Indian muleteers, to pleafe the curiofity of the paflengers, 

 fqueezethem betwixt the palms of their hands, though unqueftionably, fhould a perfon 

 of a delicate hand make a trial, the effedls would be the fame as on ariy other part of 

 the body*. 



Nature is equally admirable in her works, and in her care of them. Man is endued 

 with difcernment, knowledge, and obfervation, that he may avoid whatever is hurtful 

 to his being ; and the irrational fpecies receive the like notices from inftinft, and are 

 not lefs obfervant than man. The people who travel along thefe valleys, where they 

 are fo much in danger of thefe coyas, according to the warning before given them by 

 the Indians who attend them, though they feel fomething flinging them or crawling on 

 their neck or face, are careful not to fcratch the part, nor even fo much as lift up their 

 hands to it, the coya being of fuch a delicate texture that it would immediately burfl ; 

 and as there is no danger whilfl they do not ejedt the humour in them, the perfon ac- 

 quaints fome one of the company with what he feels, and points to the place ; if it be a 

 coya, the other blows it away. The beafls, who are not capable of fuch warning, are 

 yet by inflinft taught a precaution againfl the danger which may refult from thefe infeds 

 in the paflures ; for before they offer to touch the herbage, they blow on it with all 

 their force in order to difperfe any of thofe pernicious vermin ; and when their fmell 

 acquaints them that they are near a nefl of coyas, they immediately leap back and run 

 to fome other part. Thus they fecure ^themfelves from the venom of the(e infefts, 

 though fometimes a mule, after all its blowing, has been known to take in fome with 

 its paflure, on which, after fwelling to a frightful degree, they have expired on the 

 fpot. 



Among the plants of the country of Popayan, in the jurifdiftion of Timana, grows the 

 cuca or coca,an herb fo efleemed by the Indians in fome provinces of Peru, that they would 

 part with any kind of provifions, the moft valuable metals, gems, or any thing elfe, rather 

 than want it. It grows on a weak ftem, which for fupport twifts itfelf round another ftronger 

 vegetable, like the vine. Its leaf is about an inch and a half, or two inches in length, and ex- 

 tremelyfmooth ; the ufe the Indians make of it is for chewing, mixing it with a kind of chalk 



* The Brazilians fay, oil and fait is a certain cure for the poifon of th« coyba, A. 



or 



