370 EXPLANATORY INDEX. 



below the fish, to allow for refraction, strikes it in the body. 

 The fish, pierced by the barbed point which remains in it, 

 being now in direct communication with the man's hand by 

 means of the cord, is easily landed." 



The illustration of the head of one of these arrows is taken 

 from a specimen in my collection. The ' shimara-sherie ' is 

 made of letter-wood, q.v., which is weighty as well as hard, so 

 that, together with the iron head, the fore part of the arrow 

 is heavy enough to enable the weapon to penetrate the water. 

 Sometimes, it is used for catching turtle, and then is shot high 

 into the air so as to fall perpendicularly on the turtle's back. 



Aebow, Hog. — This weapon is quite as large as the fish 

 arrow which has just been described, and, with the exception 

 of the head, is made in much the same manner. It is used 

 for shooting wild hogs, capybara, tapirs, and the larger 

 monkeys. One of the principal objects in putting the head 

 loosely into a square, or rather, oblong hole, is, that the shaft 

 falls to the ground, and can be picked up by the hunter and 

 used again with a fresh point. Thus, he need not trouble 

 himself to carry more than a couple of shafts, and, as a 

 Guianan native never takes any trouble that he can avoid, 

 this ai-rangement suits him admirably. 



I once happened to say to Waterton that I supposed a 

 native could easily sit down and make a fresh Arrow, and was 



HOG-ABROW 



immediately ' pulled up ' as having shown ignorance of the 

 native customs. For, as Waterton graphically put it, an 

 Indian never runs if he can walk, never walks if he can 

 sit, and never sits if he cai^ lie down. All Arrow making 

 is done while lying in the hammock. 



