FIRST JOURNEY. 



53 



cautiously does lie tread the ground that the fallen leaves 

 rustle not beneath his feet. His ears are open to the 

 least sound, while his eye, keen as that of the lynx, is 

 employed in finding out the game in the thickest shade. 

 Often he imitates their cry, and decoys them from tree 

 to tree, till they are within range of his tube. Then 

 taking a poisoned arrow from his quiver, he puts it 

 in the blow-pipe, and collects his breath 'for the fatal 

 puff. 



About two feet from the end through which he 

 blows, there are fastened two teeth of the acouri, and 

 these serve him for a sight. Silent and swift the 

 arrow flies, and seldom fails to pierce the object at 

 which it is sent. Sometimes the wounded bird remains 

 in the same tree where it was shot, and in three 

 minutes falls down at the Indian's feet. Should he 

 take wing, his flight is of short duration, and the 

 Indian, following the direction he has gone, is sure to 

 find him dead. 



It is natural to imagine that, when a slight wound 

 only is inflicted, the game will make its escape. Far 

 Effects of otherwise ; the wourali poison almost in- 

 the^womded stantaueously mixes with blood or water, 

 so that if you wet your finger, and dash it 

 along the poisoned arrow in the quickest manner pos- 

 sible, you are sure to carry off some of the poison. 

 Though three minutes generally elapse before the con- 

 vulsions come on in the wounded bird, still a stupor 

 evidently takes place sooner, and this stupor manifests 

 itself by an apparent unwillingness in the bird to move. 

 This was very visible in a dying fowl. 



Having procured a healthy full-grown one, a short 

 piece of a poisoned blow-pipe arrow was broken off and 



