Chap. XII. THE 'nga POISON. 333 



next day he was perfectly restored. Not much can be 

 inferred from a single case of this kind, but it is possible 

 that the kombi may turn out a valuable remedy ; and as 

 Professor Sharpey has conducted a series of experiments 

 with this substance, we look with interest for the results. 

 An alkaloid has been obtained from it similar to 

 strychnine. There is no doubt that all kinds of wild 

 animals die from the effects of poisoned arrows, except the 

 elephant and hippopotamus. The amount of poison that 

 this little weapon can convey into their systems being too 

 small to kill those huge beasts, the hunters resort to the 

 beam trap instead. 



Another kind of poison was met with on Lake Nyassa, 

 which was said to be used exclusively for killing men. 

 It was put on small wooden arrow-heads, and carefully 

 protected by a piece of maize-leaf tied round it. It caused 

 numbness of the tongue when the smallest particle was 

 tasted. The Bushmen of the northern part of the 

 Kalahari were seen applying the entrails of a small cater- 

 pillar which they termed 'Nga to their arrows. This 

 venom was declared to be so powerful in producing 

 delirium, that a man in dying returned in imagination to 

 a state of infancy, and would call for his mother's breast. 

 Lions when shot with it are said to perish in agonies. 

 The poisonous ingredient in this case may be derived 

 from the plant on which the caterpillar feeds. It is 

 difficult to conceive by what sort of experiments the 

 properties of these poisons, known for generations, were 

 proved. Probably the animal instincts, which have be- 

 come so obtuse by civilization, that children in England 

 eat the berries of the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) 

 without suspicion, were in the early uncivilized state 

 much more keen. In some points instinct is still retained 

 among savages. It is related that in the celebrated 

 voyage of the French navigator, Bougainville, a young 



