SOUTH AMERICA. 



53 



inferior animals, the ensuing experiments. Tlie larger First 



JoURNKY. 



animals were destroyed in order to have proof positive of 



the strength of a j^oison which hath hitherto been doubted ; 

 and the smaller ones were killed with the hope of sub- 

 stantiating that, which has commonly been supposed to 

 be an antidote. 



It makes a pitying heart ache to see a poor creature 

 in distress and pain ; and too often has the compassionate 

 traveller occasion to heave a sigh as he journies on. 

 However, here, though the kind-hearted will be sorry to 

 read of an unotFending animal doomed to death, in order 

 to satisfy a doubt, still it will be a relief to know that the 

 victim "svas not tortured. The wourali poison destroys 

 life's action so gently, that the victim appears to be in 

 no pain whatever ; and probably, ^vere the truth known, 

 it feels none, saving the momentary smart at the time 

 the arrow enters. 



A day or two before the Macoushi Indian prepares his 

 poison, he goes into the forest in quest of the ingredients. 

 A vine grows in these wilds, which is called Avourali. It 

 is from this that the poison takes its name, and it is the 

 principal ingredient. When he has procured enough of 

 this, he digs up a root of a very bitter taste, ties them 

 together, and then looks about for two kinds of bulbous 

 plants, which contain a green and glutinous juice. He 

 fills a little quake, which he carries on his back, with the 

 stalks of these ; and lastly, ranges up and down till he 



