SCHOMBURGK'S ACCOUNT OF RORAIMA. 313 



pointing likewise to the bank we had just left, uttering 

 the same cry : " Akuy." Greatly alarmed I asked her 

 whether she had been bitten, when the poor girl broke 

 into bitter tears and at the same instant I noticed some 

 drops of blood trickling from her knee. Only a poisonous 

 snake could have caused a similar wound and only the 

 speediest help could save the life of our pet. Unfortu- 

 nately, Mr. Fryer and my brother were the last, and the 

 Indian carrying the medicine chest with the lancets 

 the first in our long line. For want of a better ban- 

 dage, I immediately unstrapped one of my braces and 

 tied it as firmly as possible round her knee just above 

 the wound, making the Indians suck out the latter at 

 once. I believe the poor woman did not even know at 

 first that she had been bitten, though the snake had 

 twice darted for her, biting her once above and once 

 below the broad bead-strings which she had twisted 

 round her leg. Our commotion had called the atten- 

 tion ot the others and among these also that of Kate'S 

 husband, upon which they came hurrying on. Deeply 

 moved as he was by the sight of his beloved wife, he yet 

 managed to overcome his feelings, and throwing himself 

 down by her side, began to suck her wounds. Mean- 

 while also my brother and Mr. Fryer as well as the 

 Indian with the medicine chest had arrived. Mr. Fryer 

 scarified the wounds, and, crouching upon their heels, 

 the rest of the Indians to all appearance indifferently 

 looked on, taking each of them their turn in sucking 

 out the blood from the wounds. The circle of these 

 unsympathetic faces with their bloody lips looked some- 

 thing ghastly. Though we instantaneously applied spirits 

 of ammonia externally as well as internally all our 



