FIRST JOURNEY. 



29 



perhaps the fattest and most delicious fisli in Guiana. 

 It does not take the hook, but the Indians decoy it to 

 the surface of the water by means of the seeds of the 

 crabwood tree, and then shoot it with an arrow. 



You are now within the borders of Macoushia, in- 

 habited by a different tribe of people, called 

 incMaTr^^^^ Macoushi Indians ; uncommonly dexterous 

 in the use of the blow-pipe, and famous for 

 their skill in preparing the deadly vegetable poisoUj 

 commonly called Wourali. 



It is from this country that those beautiful paroquets, 

 named Kessi-kessi, are procured. Here the crystal 

 mountains are found ; and here the three different 

 species of the ara are seen in great abundance. Here, 

 too, growls the tree from which the gum elastic is got : 

 it is large, and as tall as any in the forest. The wood 

 has much the appearance of sycamore. The gum is 

 contained in the bark ; when that is cut through, it 

 oozes out very freely : it is quite white, and looks as 

 rich as cream : it hardens almost immediately as it 

 issues from the tree ; so that it is very easy to collect a 

 ball, by forming the juice into a globular shape as fast 

 as it comes out : it becomes nearly black by being 

 exposed to the air, and is real India rubber without 

 undergoing any other process. 



The elegant crested bird called Cock of the rock, 

 admirably described by Buffon, is a native of the woody 

 mountains of Macoushia. In the daytime, it retires 

 amongst the darkest rocks, and only comes out to feed 

 a little before sunrise, and at sunset : he is of a gloomy 

 disposition, and, like the houtou, never associates with 

 the other birds of the forest. 



The Indians, in the just-mentioned settlement, seemed 



