ARROW POISON. 



305 



The East Africans ignore the use of red-hot arrows ; 

 and the poisoned shaft, an unmanly weapon, unused 

 by the English and French archers even in their 

 deadliest wars, is confined to the Wanyika of Mombasah, 

 theWazaramo, theWak'hutu, the Western Wasagara, and 

 the people of Uruwwa. The Wazaramo and Wak'hutu 

 call the plant from which the poison is extracted Mkan- 

 dekande. They sold at somewhat an exorbitant price a 

 leaf full of the preparation, but avoided pointing out to 

 the expedition the plant, which from their description 

 appears to be a variety of euphorbia. M. Werne ( " Sources 

 of the White Nile," chap, viii.) says that the river tribe pre- 

 pare their arrow-poison from a kind of asclepias, whose 

 milky sap is pressed out between two stones and allowed 

 to thicken. Dr. Livingstone (chap, viii.) mentions the 

 use of then'gwa caterpillar amongst the Bushmen, who 

 also poison waters with the Euphorbia arborescens ; and 

 Mr. Andersson (chap, vii.) specifies the Euphorbia can- 

 delabrum amongst the Ovaherero and the Hill Damaras. 

 In East Africa the poison-leaves are allowed to distil their 

 juices into a pot, which for inspissation is placed over 

 a slow fire ; becoming thick and slab, the contents are 

 applied with a stick to the arrow, and are smoothed be- 

 tween the hands. When finished, the part behind the 

 barb is covered with a shiny brown-black coat, not unlike 

 pitch, to the extent of four or five inches. After drying 

 it is renewed by the application of a fresh layer, the old 

 being removed by exposure to the fire. The people 

 fear this poison greatly ; they wash their hands after 

 touching it, and declare that a wounded man or beast 

 loses sense, " moons about," and comes to the ground 

 before running a quarter of a mile. Much exagge- 

 ration, however, must be expected upon the subject of 

 toxicology amongst barbarians : it acts like the Somali 



VOL. II. x 



