532 



weapons dipped in the curare, described to us 

 the symptoms of being poisoned as entirely 

 similar to those observed in the bite of serpents. 

 The wounded person feels congestions in the 

 head; and vertigoes that compel him to seat 

 himself on the ground. He feels nausea, vo- 

 mits repeatedly ; and, while he is tormented by 

 a raging thirsty numbness seizes all the parts 

 that are near the wound. 



The old Indian, who was called the master of 

 poison, seemed flattered by the interest we had 

 taken in his chemical processes. He found us 

 sufficiently intelligent to have no doubt, that 

 we knew how to make soap, and, next to the 

 fabrication of curare, this art appeared to him 

 one of the finest inventions of the human mind. 

 When the liquid poison was poured into the 

 vessels prepared for this purpose, we accompa- 

 nied the Indian to the festival of the juvias. 

 The harvest of juvias, or fruits of the bertholletia 

 excelsa, was celebrated by dancing, and the 

 excesses of the most savage intoxication. The 

 hut, where the natives were assembled, displayed 

 during several days a very singular aspect. 

 There was neither table nor bench, but large 

 roasted monkeys, blackened by smoke, were 

 ranged in order resting against the wall. These 

 were the marimondes (ateles belzebuth), and 

 those bearded monkeys called capuchins, whieh 

 must not be confounded with the weeper, or sai 



