114 
How THE PiAi Cured my Fever. 
measures proved unavailing, for during the niglit my veteran friend, the 
fever, attacked me worse than almost ever before. 
280. As I found it Impossible to leave my hammock in the morning, 
I had to have the hunters sent for, to obtain the infornmtion required 
concerning the business that had brought me here. Tlie first thing I 
learnt v^'as that the birds had already taken their departure since the end 
of July, for it is only during June and July that they are to be seen on 
the Eanges : but it was possible that a few stragglers might still 
be discovered. 
281. Xext morning everybody hun-ied into the forest to earn a knife, 
the price I had set on the bird. Unsuccessful as regards the main object, 
they returned in tlie evening with a number of other l)ii-ds amongst which 
were two specimens of A'tipirohi which, during tlie montlis mentioned, so 
I was informed, came down just as frequently fi'om their rocky pinnacles 
for the ripened berries. They luid even shot 24 specimens of RhampliaHos 
riicUinus. These were as ]iartial to the same food as the RujilcoJn, 
Corariiia, and other Am pel id a r. Unfortunately I could not system- 
atically identify the tree liearing the lierries that attracted the most 
beautiful of the feathered fellow-denizens of the forest. 
282. As the fever would not abate, and while afflicted with it I could 
not start on the return journey, I determined upon sending two Indians 
to Pirara to fetch the quinine lacking. For want of ink i used the red 
pigment of the Bi(j)ionia Chica and wrote my i-equirements on a piece of 
paper that one of the Indians, having found in Pirara, had guarded like 
a relic. The messengers left at about four o'clock in the afternoon and 
on the following morning at 9 there they stood by my hammock with the 
longed-for medicine. In spite of the unspeakable difficulties of the road, 
they had traversed the 45 or more miles in seventeen hours. Twenty 
grains of quinine freed me from the mischief-maker. 
283. The Piai had already on the day of my arrival offered me his 
services, but not feeling quite inclined to listen to his nonsense, I had 
refused it. When, liowever, I had swallowed my own surer remedy, and 
content in the knowledge that I should be fr-eed from the fever, 
felt brighter again, I was more than glad to accept his repeated 
proposals Avith a view to becoming more thoroughly acquainted 
witli the ceremonies of exorcism. Hardly had night set in' than 
the old man entered the house witli two bundles of leaves in 
his liands, and straightway drove the other occupants out. He next 
extinguished all the fires, squatted close to my hammock, Avhip]ipd the 
ground with the leaves, and raised a howl that ]uerced my very marrow- 
bones, and of wliich I could but make out the words ; ''Heia, Heia": 
only now and again did a short pause interrupt the howling. After 
proceeding like this for a quarter of an hour, I suddenly re- 
cognised at the side of my hammock a second voice with which the 
Piai entered into a regular colloquy, lie putting questions and 
receiving answers. Despite all efforts I could not owing to the 
darkness, make out whether the voice arose from a confederate who 
had sneaked in unnoticed, or whether the Piai was a ventriloquist: I 
incline to the latter vie^- because, on the following morning, I could only 
