428 
NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
CHAP. 
suspended a few odoriferous rhizomes of a sedge 
i^Kyllingia odorata). Rhizomes of the same sedge, 
or of an allied species, are in use among the Indians 
throughout the Amazon and Orinoco. They render 
the wearer secure from the bad wish and evil eye 
of his enemies. 
For taking the snuff they use an apparatus made 
of the leg-bones of herons or other long-shanked birds 
put together in the shape of the letter Y, or some- 
thing like a tuning-fork, and the two upper tubes are 
tipped with small black perforated knobs (the endo- 
carps of a palm). The lower tube being inserted 
in the snuff-box and the knobs in the nostrils, the 
snuff is forcibly inhaled, with the effect of thoroughly 
narcotising a novice, or indeed a practised hand, 
if taken in sufficient quantity ; but this endures 
only a few minutes, and is followed by a soothing 
influence, which is more lasting. 
The Guahibo had a bit of caapi hung from his 
neck, along with the snuff-box, and as he ground 
his niopo he every now and then tore off a strip of 
caapi with his teeth and chewed it with evident 
satisfaction. " With a chew of caapi and a pinch 
of niopo," said he, in his broken Spanish, "one feels 
so good ! No hunger — no thirst — no tired ! " From 
the same man I learnt that caapi and niopo were 
used by all the nations on the upper tributaries of 
the Orinoco, i.e. on the Guaviare, Vichada, Meta, 
Sipapo, etc. 
I had previously (in 1 85 1 ) purchased of a Brazilian 
trader at Manaos an apparatus for taking niopo 
snuff rather different from that of the Guahibos. 
He had brought it from the river Puriis, where it 
had been used by the Catauixi Indians. My note 
