ROTH] THE MEDICINE-MAN 343 



303. The Pomeroon ^Vrawaks appear to credit the piai with being 

 able to influence the Yawahus in brmging the as-yet-unboni babes to 

 the mothers (Sect. 284A). In some districts, as on the Berbice, the 

 piais were said to be professional poisoners, but it must be remem- 

 bered that the charge of poisoning was one made against all Asa- 

 waks as a habit (Da, 16). Among the wurah-poison-making tribes, 

 for example, the Makusis, Bernau's statement (Be, 36) that the 

 "conjiu-ers alone are conversant with the art of compounding it" 

 does not seem to be borne out by the facts. At one place on the 

 Orinoco, as already stated (Sect. 297), the sorcerers were alleged to 

 be rendered poist>n-proof (G, ii, 25). Waterton's statement (W, 223) 

 that "he is an enchanter: he finds out things lost" is only a further 

 example of the piai's supposed versatility. I remember on one 

 occasion unconsciously giving great offence to my old doctor-friend, 

 Bariki, now alas! gone to his long, last rest, by asking him if he knew 

 so-and-so: he gave me a withering glance, and after a few moments, 

 silence, said, "I know all things." Taking tlie hint, I subsequently 

 invariably sought information from him by putting my question in 

 the form of "Tell me lliis, or that," with the result that, pleased 

 with my appreciation of his mental superiority, he was always ready 

 to impart all ho knew, and perhaps more. 



303. The following legend is another good example showing that 

 there was very little that the medicine-man could not do in the 

 natural or supernatural sphere: it is apparently a variant of the 

 stories given in Sects. 137 and 143. 



The Medicine-man and the Carrion Crows (A) 



Makanauro was a verj^ clever medicine-man; we call such an one a semi-chichi. 

 Setting his traps out in the hush, he was always certain of catching something, be it 

 bird or beast. But for some little time he found to his annoyance on going to his 

 trap, that some one had forestalled him and had stolen the meat inside. It puzzled 

 him how this could have been done, because there were no footprints or broken 

 bushes about, to show the advent or departure of any stranger. So he one day climbed 

 a tree in close proximity to one of his traps, and watched from his elevated position. 

 He saw some game caught in the trap and by and by a black Carrion-crow [Cathartes 

 burrovianus] came swooping down, and try to cut it up with a knife, so as to remove 

 it the easier. The Crow's knife, however, was too blunt, so he flew away and fetched 

 the Vulture [Sarcorhamphus papa], who brought a sharper knife with him, and cut 

 up all the meat nicely. ■ And then a lot more Carrion-crows came down, and between 

 them they cleared every particle of the meat away, leaving the trap as empty as 

 before. Makanauro watched all this quietly from under cover of the tree branches, 

 and on several other occasions subsequently saw them play him the same trick, the 

 Vulture being invariably the ringleader. He made up his mind to catch this bird, 

 and disguising himself ^vith cotton, which he stuck all over him, including eyes, 

 nose, and head, he laid himself down on the ground quite close to one of his traps 

 that had game in it, and remained perfectly stUl. As usual, the Crow came do\\Ti first, 

 but his knife was still too blunt to cut up either Makanauro or the meat inside the 



