FIRST JOURNEY. 



51 



and stronger, and common in Guiana, and tliis the 

 Indians make use of as a case, in which they put the 

 ourah. It is brown, suscej)tible of a fine polish, and 

 appears as if it had joints five or six inches from each 

 other. It is called Samourah, and the pulp inside 

 is easily extracted, by steeping it for a few days in 

 water. 



Thus the ourah and samourah, one within the other, 

 form the blow-pipe of Guiana. The end which is ap- 

 plied to the mouth is tied round with a small silk-grass 

 cord, to prevent its splitting ; and the other end, which 

 is apt to strike against the ground, is secured by the 

 seed of the acuero fruit, cut horizontally through the 

 middle, with a hole made in the end, through which is 

 put the extremity of the blow-pipe. It is fastened on 

 with string on the outside, and the inside is filled up 

 with w ild bees' -wax. 



The arrow is from nine to ten inches long. 

 It is made out of the leaf of a species of 

 palm-tree, called Coucourite, hard and brittle, and 

 pointed as sharp as a needle. About an inch of the 

 pointed end is poisoned. The other end is burnt to 

 make it still harder, and wild cotton is put round it for 

 about an inch and a half. It requires considerable 

 practice to put on this cotton well. It must just be 

 large enough to fit the hollow of the tube, and taper 

 off to nothing downwards. They tie it on with a 

 thread of the silk-grass, to prevent its slipping off 

 the arrow. 



The Indians have shown ingenuity in 

 le qm\er. ^^j^-^^ ^ quivcr to hold the arrows. It will 

 contain from five to six hundred. It is generally from 

 twelve to fourteen inches long, and in shape resembles 



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