and the Plant from which it is ecctracted. 421 



tribes, the chief ingredients for the preparation of their poison 

 is either Strychnos Ronhamon or Strychnos cogens (B.), and 

 althoiigli it resemble tlie Urari in appearance, we soon found 

 that it was of inferior strength. The Curare of Esmeralda 

 was prepared by Indians either related to or of the same tribe 

 as the Guinaus and Maiongkongs ; and when I showed them 

 a specimen of the Strychnos toxifera from my herbarium 

 they appeared to be entirely unacquainted with it, while they 

 recognized the specimen of S. cogens as that plant of which 

 they made the Cumarawa. I have already alluded to the 

 similarity in general appearance between Strychnos cogens 

 and Strychnos Ronhamon. It is therefore more than proba- 

 ble that the Curare and Cumarawa are prepared in a similar 

 mannei'. 



Von Martins relates the mode of preparation of the Urari 

 as practised by the Juris, Passes, Miranhas and Ticunas, In- 

 dian tribes of the Amazons and Yupura (vide ' Reise in Bra- 

 silien,' iii. pp. 1155 and 1235) ; and as he had opportunity to 

 be present at the preparation Avhile among the Juri Indians 

 of the river Yupura, I insert here his remarks. " The chief 

 ingredient of the arrow-poison of the Indians of the Yupura 

 is furnished by a slender tree, the Ronhamon Guianensis, Aubl, 

 (a St?'ychnos, L.), Avhich in the Tupi tongue is called Urari- 

 iwa. The bark, after having been immersed in water, is 

 pressed out by the Juri-Taboca with his hands, and the yel- 

 lowish juice is concentrated in a flat plate, over a gentle fire, 

 and other infusions extracted in a similar manner from the 

 root of a pepper-shrub {Piper geniculatum) ; from a tree un- 

 known to me, called Taraira-moira, that is, tree of the fish 

 Taraira; the bark of a Cocculus plant (Coccz^/Ms/wme, M.), 

 and a twining Ficus, are added in equal quantities. This com- 

 pound extract, of the consistence of a thick syrup, had acquired 

 over the fire a dark brown colour, Mhen it was poured into 

 small vessels, each containing about two ounces, and allowed 

 to cool in the shade of the cabin. Previously, the Indian 

 added to every vessel a small fi'uit of capsicum (Kiynha-avi), 

 and with this the preparation of the Urari was finished. The 

 Indians revive its strength when it has become weak, chiefly 

 by adding the fruit of capsicum and the root of Piper genicu- 

 latum. There is little doubt that the extract of the four plants 

 which have been named as additions are of less importance, 

 and their place might be supplied by others. According to 

 the information which I received from several Brazilians, 

 other ingredients are added, namely, the milk of Euphorbia 



Mashiatti, Marawacca, and Wanaya, on the rivers Ventuari, Parainu, and 

 Orinoco. 



