34 



WANDERINGS IN 



First tliG Ara are seen in great abundance. Here, too, grows 



JoUKNEY, 



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 bemg exposed to the air, 

 and is real Indian 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 Houton, never associates with 

 the other birds of the forest. 



The Indians, in the just mentioned settlement, seemed 

 to depend more on the wourali poison for killing their 

 game, than upon any thing else. They had only one gun, 

 and it appeared rusty and neglected ; but their poisoned 

 Indian wcapous wcrc in fine order. Their blow-pipes hung from 



blow-pipe, 



the roof of the hut, carefully suspended by a silk grass 

 cord ; and on taldng a nearer view of them, no dust 

 seemed to have collected there, nor had the spider spun 



