150 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH, ANN. 38 
Amazon, was already known as the River of Poisons . . . on account 
of the envenomed arrows, the most usual weapons of those nations 
that live upon its banks (LCo, 67). 
122. Curare was manufactured in Schomburgk’s presence. He 
described the procedure, which, apparently, is unaccompanied with 
any danger, even the steam arising being harmless. This took place 
in a new house, with new pots, the Indian making his special fire, 
bringing his own water, and allowing no assistance from anyone 
else. Both before and after he submitted himself to a strict fast, 
further essential conditions being that while the cooking process 
was going on no woman, maid, especially a pregnant woman, must 
come near the house, nor must his own wife be in the family way. 
He asked Schomburgk during the course of the preparation not to 
eat sugar cane or sugar (SR, 1, 445-447). This restriction, depend- 
ing upon his wife’s condition, had already been noted by Waterton, 
with whom an Indian agreed to make some for him, but the next 
morning declined having anything to do with it, alleging that his 
wife was with child (W, 94). Somewhat analogous to the sugar 
taboo imposed upon Schomburgk as a spectator is that of the Indian 
on the upper Parou, Cayenne, who only commenced to free the roots 
of the Strychnos crévauxt out of the ground with a stick after satis- 
fying himself that each of the spectators had chewed and swallowed . 
the capsicum given them by the medicine man (Cr, 269-271). 
Schomburgk was informed that,if made properly and kept carefully 
dried, curare would retain its toxic properties for many years, and 
that if lost they could be restored with the juice of the poisonous 
manihot [cassava] root (SR, 1, 445-447). Moisture would also seem 
to have a deleterious effect on the drug, Waterton noting that the 
Indians keep it in the driest part of the hut, and from time to time 
suspend it over the fire to counteract the effects of dampness (W, 92— 
93). Among the Maiongkong, Guinau, Uaupes, and the Pauixiana 
weak poison is used for shooting and stupefying the Rhamphastos 
(toucan), which supplies the feathers used for the cloaks, ete. After 
recovery these may, perhaps, be shot at and robbed again (SR, 1, 
403). There are other references in the literature to this temporary 
loss of consciousness by the animal shot, but no explanation as to 
whether the curare so employed depends for its strength upon origi- 
nal manufacture or subsequent treatment. To apply the poison the 
extremity of the dart or arrow is dipped once or several times into 
it, according to the strength required (Cr, 555), but to make the 
juice adhere better small crossed incisions are made on the implement 
(Cr, 269-271). The Trio would seem to have a brush, specially made 
from monkey hair, for smearing the poison onto the dart (GOE, 
pl. v, fig. 13), There is Bancroft’s statement that the Indians con- 
