SOUTH AMERICA. 



65 



with him, and should another shot immediately occur, he First 



JoURNKY. 



has only to take another poisoned spike out of his little — 



bamboo box, fit it on his arrow, and send it to its 

 destination. 



Thus armed with deadly poison, and hungry as the 

 hyeena, he ranges through the forest in quest of the wild 

 beasts' track. No hound can act a surer part. With- 

 out clothes to fetter him, or shoes to bind his feet, he 

 observes the footsteps of the game, where an European 

 eye could not discern the smallest vestige. He pursues 

 it through all its turns and windings, with astonishing per- 

 severance, and success generally crowns his efforts. The 

 animal^ after receiving the poisoned arrow, seldom retreats 

 two hundred paces before it drops. 



In passing over land from the Essequibo to the 

 Demerara, we fell in with a herd of wild hogs. Though 

 encumbered with baggage, and fatigued with a hard day's 

 walk, an Indian got his bow ready, and let fly a poisoned 

 arrow at one of them. It entered the cheek bone and KiUawiid 



hog. 



broke off. The wild hog was found quite dead about 

 one hundred and seventy paces from the place where he 

 had been shot. He afforded us an excellent and whole- 

 some supper. 



Thus the savage of Guiana, independent of the common 

 weapons of destruction, has it in his power to prepare a 

 poison, by which he can generally ensure to himself a 

 supply of animal food ; and the food so destroyed imbibes 



K 



