30 WANDERINGS IN 



FIRST quivers were close by them, with the iaw-bone 



JOURNEY. t J 



of the fish Pirai tied by a string to their brim, 



and a small wicker-basket of wild cotton, which 

 hung down to the centre ; they were nearly full 

 of poisoned arrows. It was with difficulty these 

 Indians could be persuaded to part with any of 

 the wourali poison, though a good price was 

 offered for it: they gave to understand that it 

 was powder and shot to them, and very difficult 

 to be procured. 



On the second day after leaving, this settle- 

 ment, in passing along, the Indians shew you a 

 place where once a white man lived. His retiring 

 so far from those of his own colour and acquaint- 

 ance seemed to carry something extraordinary 

 along with it, and raised a desire to know what 

 could have induced him to do so. It seems he 

 had been unsuccessful, and that his creditors had 

 treated him with as little mercy as the strong 

 generally show to the weak. Seeing his endea- 

 vours daily frustrated, and his best intentions of 

 no avail, and fearing that when they had taken 

 all he had, they would probably take his liberty 

 too, he thought the world would not be hard- 

 hearted enough to condemn him for retiring from 

 the evils which pressed so heavily on him, and 

 which he had done all that an honest man could 

 do, to ward off. He left his creditors to talk of 

 him as they thought fit, and, bidding adieu for 

 ever to the place in which he had once seen better 



