SOUTH AMERICA. 35 



as tall as any in the forest. The wood has much F1RST 



* JOURNEY. 



the appearance of sycamore. The gum is con- - 

 tained in the bark : when that is cut through, it 

 oozes out very freely : it is quite white, and looks 

 as rich as cream : it hardens almost immediately 

 as it issues from the tree ; so that it is very easy 

 to collect a ball, by forming the juice into a glo- 

 bular shape as fast as it comes out: it becomes 

 nearly black by being exposed to the air, and is 

 real Indian rubber without undergoing any other 

 process. 



The elegant crested bird called Cock of the 

 rock, admirably described by Buffon, is a native 

 of the woody mountains of Macoushia. In the 

 daytime, it retires amongst the darkest rocks, 

 and only comes out to feed a little before sun- 

 rise, and at sunset : he is of a gloomy disposition, 

 and, like the houtou, never associates with the 

 other birds of the forest. 



The Indians, in the just mentioned settlement, 

 seemed to depend more on the wourali poison 

 for killing their game, than upon any thing else. 

 They had only one gun, and it appeared rusty 

 and neglected ; but their poisoned weapons were 

 in fine order. Their blow-pipes hung from the Indian 



blow-pipc 



roof of the hut, carefully suspended by a silk 

 grass cord ; and on taking a nearer view of them, 

 no dust seemed to have collected there, nor had 

 the spider spun the smallest web on them ; which 

 shewed that they were in constant use. The 



D 2 



