A VOYAGE TO BookVL 

 the various kinds of filh, are two of an amphibious 

 nature ; the caymans or alligators, and the tortoife, 

 which fwarm on the fliores and iflands. Its tortoifes 

 for tafle are preferred to thofe of the 'fea. Another 

 remarkable fifh here is the pexe-buey or fea-cow, fo 

 called from its refembling the land quadruped of that 

 iname. This is one of the largeft fpecies known in 

 the river, being generally three or four yards in 

 length, and of a proportional thicknefs : the flefh is 

 very palatable, and, according to fome, has pretty 

 much the tafte of beef. It feeds on the herbage 

 growing along the fhore, but the ftrufture of its body 

 does not admit of its coming out of the water. The 

 female has dugs for fuckling its young and what- 

 ever fome may have faid of any farther refemblance 

 to the terreftrial fpecies of that name, it has neither 

 horns nor legs. It has indeed two fins, which ferv€ 

 equally for fwimming, and fupporting itfelf on the 

 banks whilft feeding. The general method of the In- 

 dians for filliing, is with inebriating herbs, like that 

 i have mentioned on the river Guayaquil On fome 

 occafions they make ufe of arrows dipped in poifon, 

 of fuch an adlivity, that the flighted wound im- 

 mediately kills the fifh. This is alfo their method 

 of hunting, and in both they are fo very expert and 

 aftive, that they are very feldom knovvTi to mifs their 

 aim. This powerful venom is principally the juice of 

 a bejuco, near fix fingers broad, and flat on both 

 fides, of a brownifli colour, and growing in very damp 

 marfliy places. In order to prepare the poifon, they 

 :CUt it into pieces, v^^hich they bruife and boil in water. 

 On taking it off the fire, they add to it a particular 

 ingredient which caufes a coagulation. With this 

 they rub the point of their arrows ; and when dry, 

 for Vr'ant of frefli uncftion, they moifl:en it with their 

 fpitrle : the quality of it is fo frigorific, that it im- 

 mediately repels all the blood to the heart, where the 

 velTels burft, being unable to contain fuch a tprrenj; 



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