THE AMAZOK AND MADEIRA RIVERS 
left l)y tlie rotiriiig floods, A poisonous oreopei’, cipo limbo (PaidUuia 
pinnata^ L.),* is crushed, and the sap throA\’u into (he water, wliicli in a 
few Tnimitos will he covered with dead fisli of all sizes, the eating of 
Avhich does not seem to endanger the health. Though I think this 
mode of fishing Avoifhy only of barbarians, I should not liave hesitated 
once to Axse the poison, had ono 
of the plants been at hand. It 
was at the Salto de Thootonio, 
the most considerable of the 
I " 1 cataracts of the Madeira, where 
g a rugged reef of 83 feet in 
I height crosses the river-bed. 
3 A groat number of pools had 
" boon left by the receding floods 
_ ^ J in its holes and on shore, just 
ra about where the fish probably 
had tried to pass the fall in 
lateral channels, or by leaping 
and boimding oA'cr the breaks 
to eontimie, in the smootli 
above, their search for an appro- 
■ m priate place to deposit their 
p spaAvn. In the lai-gest of those 
P pools many Imndi'eds of gigantic 
fish had been cut off fi’om the 
■ main stream, perhaps Avexks 
before our arrival, and were 
ilying sloAvly in the Avarju Avater 
of the basin, Avhioh Avas ini])reg- 
nated Axath every variety of 
putrid matter. We counted 
already more than fiA^e hxxndred 
n OA'cry .stage of decomposition, floating upon 
green Avatcr, and emitting pestiferous exha- 
ue a huge sm-ubim rose from the depth and 
nsiiiixa WITH tuk covo, 
* Resides tins, tlipro nvo a few utluT sitriilnv jilants used in tlio sanio waj 
Tiiiiln'), Discidia Ei-ytlivinsi, Vki.c. ; Taruim-AIoira, Oowulus iiierme, Maiit' 
Etij^iluirbia’ ct Icfitlij'ittiiciw, Makt. 
