6 
Another Gün-süot Accident. 
tree might be used witli considerable advantage for the frames of mili- 
tary saddles : it is generally met Avith throughout the savannahs and I 
firmly believe that from those situate between the Rupununi and tlie 
Rio Branco, the whole of the European Cavalry could be supplied. The 
Macusi call the tree Curatakie, for it is particularly wit}i its rough leaves 
that a polish is given to the casing of their Idow-guns (Cura). 
13. Though the effect of the transport on the chronometers was 
shown to be nil, and the corials were repaired, we were nevertheless 
detained at camp through an unfortunate accident. Owing to their ripe 
fruit the very many Cucurit ( Ma.rlniilia rcf/ia) and Sawari palms hem- 
ming in the hanks proved a favourite resort for innumerable blue 
Araras. On the morning after our arrival I had shot soveral, with 
which Hamlet had made i most delicious soup. Stöckle and Petri, the 
fourth German, having tasted tho Inttnr and fiuding plenty of good 
cause to prepare a similar dish for themselves, both started off at once 
to get the necessary ingredients. 
14. They had not long disappeared among the trees when a shot 
followed by a yell piercing our very marroW) bones, set the whole camp 
in commotion. All rushed to the spot where we found Petri on the 
ground rolling in blood, and Stöckle, wringing and writhing his hands, 
rushing round him . As we bent down over the poor devil we discovered 
an extensive gun-shot wound on the lower side of the shoulder-blade. 
Its situation naturally led us to the conclusion that Stöckle must have 
been the cai'eless and silly marksman for which we immediately re- 
proached him most bitterly; the latter, however, maintained that he 
was blameless, that his gun was still loaded, that at the time of the shot 
he was nowhere near Petri, that he had only come up when he heard the 
cry for help, and that therefore he f Petri) must have shot himself. It 
turned out to he so. Petri, wanting to creep through a thicket, had 
dragged behind him his gun, which, as he assured us later, was un- 
cocked, when the Irigirer was probablv lield fast by a creeper, forcildv 
pulled, and so raised, the result being that the weapon was fired. After 
carrying him still unconscious to camn where, owing to the wonnd 
in the l»ack. it was impossible for him to lie In a hammock, Ave prepared 
a staging with sticks thickly covered Avith grass, and on examining the 
wonnd no one believed he would live till mornino-. iThe onter wonnd 
was the size of a three-Tverinv piece Avhich showed that the shot-lad'^n 
barrel ntust have been fired at quit^«^ close quarters; the shoulder-blade, 
however, was smashed to pieces. ^Ir. FiT^r. to whom gunshot wonnds 
were nothinc straiio-e, searched for evervthin<T in the medicinei chest 
that might give the sufferer relief of any description. The greatest 
torment of all, however, — the frightful heat— unfortunatelv could not 
be alleviated, for in spite of the thermometer being nnder the tent, and 
this again shaded by the Mararen tree, it yet recorded about three 
o'clock in the afternoon 07° to 100° F.: its lowest readiuir at six in tlKi 
morning was 7.'^°. Notwithstanding the continuously repeated douch- 
ing, maccfots had already developed in the wound three davs Inter, and 
the stench was almost niil>earable , As the patient fortunately with' 
