f 
I Secure a Female Coracina. 
1]5 
discover iu the floor dust the Piai's tracks, but no second person's. Th>i 
conversations Avith tlie Evil Spirits are unintelligible even to the Indians: 
it is only on the next day that the medicine man undertakes to tell them 
what they are. ,AYlien they had had their talk, the sorcerer placed 
himself at the head end of my hammock and continued blowing on my 
forehead : after lighting a cigar he puffed thick clouds of smoke into my 
face enough to suffocate me, and pressed on to my brow the bundle of 
leaves, that I recognised by the smell, to be tobacco. This continued for 
quite half an hour and produced a regular sweating; Iiis voice finally 
refused him further service and he 'quietly left the house just about the 
time that my patience w'as about to be exhausted. On tliis occasion he 
had not made use of the sacred magic-rattle or Maracca. 
284. Already at break of day, the old Piai was standing at my 
hammock, enquiring after my health and took the opportunity of 
reporting in a long speech, of which unfortunately I could only under- 
stand the smallest scrajts, t)ie results of his interview Avith the Evil 
Spirit. The quinine had acted, and although still Aveak from tlie fcA'er 
and tlie "enchantni,ent,'" T sjtrang a]>parently fresh and healthy out of the 
lianiniock, so as not to upset the old man's illusions. The restoration of 
tlie Paranaghieri by the Piai arousedj universal sensation in the settle- 
ment, and was the talk of the day: the old man moreover never left my 
side dui'ing my further stay in Nappi. A looking-glass and a small knife 
constituted the payment for his cure, and made him still happier. I am 
convinced tliat the Piai l)e]ieves just as firmly in the efficacy of his witch- 
craft, as his patients do. It is said that his state of ecstasy often rises 
to such a pitch that he falls down faint and senseless. In my case, as the 
fever stayed away, the Piai's reputation was founded for all time. 
285. Though CA^ery effort was made it only fell to the lot of one 
Indian to discover and kill a female of the beautiful Coracina mlilitaris, 
its companions having already resumed their flight. Like the females 
of all Ampelidae, tliat of the Coracina falls far behind that of the male 
with regard to the feathering. The Avings have a blackish, the remaining 
portions of the body a dirty broAAaiish-red colouring. The crop 
contained the same berries Avhich I had already found in Ampelis 
caruijr.r, ]\ ii plcola , CJiafsmarhi/ncliiis, Rhamjiliafifos, Pferof/lofiftus and 
seA'eral parrots. 
280. The week fixed by me was up, and I had earnestly to think 
about returning to Pirara, particularly as the Indians who had been 
liired by Sororong were also making preparation to accompany us to 
Poraima: they had only been preA\iiled upon to go after many repeated 
attoiiipis at persuasion, for all their requirements had already been 
satisfied through their long intercourse witli us. A chief reason for their 
disinclination and refusal Avns a war in which the Macusi and the 
Arekiina who occujiiod that territory were invoh^ed, and not only they 
but we also would be killed. (Sect. 370.) At first we doubted the truth 
of the statement because the Indian, in order to avoid l)eing contracted 
for a journey tliat lie does not Avant to make, will only too readily have 
recourse to all kinds of adventurous stories of battles, cannibal races, 
spirits, etc., who are said to reside in the district, whereby he hopes to 
2 H, 
