3Ö4 
How the Blow-Gun Is Made. 
tribes of the Rio Negro and Amazon streams: it only consists of the 
slender stem of a palm which is split into two halves, out of which the 
soft inner cellular tissue is carefully scraped, the cavities smoothed as 
neatly as possible, and the two halves then tied up again and cemented 
with bast and resin.* While the Indian of the Rio Negro attaches to this 
a mouthpiece of another timber, the Macusi binds the extremity that is 
put to the mouth, with a thin thread, and attaches to the distal opening 
a sort of protective cover made from half the stone-fruit of the Astro- 
caryum Tucuma , so that if it strikes the ground it cannot get stuffed up 
with earth. The little arrows for shooting with the weapon are about 
a foot long and manufactured from the midrib of the Maxist [liana r >'c</ia. 
Their needle-like tip is streaked for an inch long with poison which must 
be dried hard in the sun. The plaited hunting 'quiver, which on the out- 
side is thickly covered with resin (Mani) and wax (Caraman) to keep off 
the wet and rain, is supplied with a tightly-closing cover made of maipuri 
skin : it. generally contains 4 to 500 of such arrows that are threaded on 
two strings and then rolled tightly around a somewhat longer pencil, at 
the end of which is fastened a ring that exactly fits the cavity of the 
holder, so that their tips are protected from knocking against the 
bottom of the article. From outside the quiver there hangs a small 
bundle of Bromclia Karatas fibre used for fixing in position the Bom- 
bax ylobosum “silk-cotton’’ which is wound upon the base of the arrow: 
this cotton serves to block the aperture of the gun, and being so light 
exercises a minimum effect upon the trajectory. Likewise tied to the 
quiver is a miniature basket containing Bombax seed-husks, as is also 
the lower jaw of a pirai. The sharp teeth on the latter are used for 
putting a point on the little arrows when necessary, and for nicking 
them to about a third of their thickness immediately below the poison, 
so that on striking the game, especially with monkeys, which pull out 
the little weapon directly they feel pricked, the innocent portion breaks 
off and the poisoned end remains in place. The shape of the above 
mentioned miniature baskets are at the same time indicative: the dif- 
ferent Indian tribes can be recognised from them. Just as we, when 
hunting, take only as much ammunition as we believe will be required, 
so does the Macusi smear with poison only so many arrows as he thinks 
may be necessary. 
015. In his right hand, the blow-gun, and on a short loop slung over 
his left shoulder the quiver and its appurtenances, which lie can press 
against his chest with his arm, the hunter hastes to the forest and makes 
his way with this awkward implement into its utmost recesses to search 
for monkeys, liokko hens, yakus, trumpet birds and other creatures. 
The skill that he develops in this connection is surprising. Though the 
animals be perched upon the highest densely-foliaged trees, they do not 
by any means find themselves out of reach of the blow-gun. the arrow of 
which can be driven to a height of over a hundred feet. Lightly and 
* Mention is made of a third kind in Roth's “ Arts, Crafts and Customs of the Guiana 
Indians” [in the Press]. (Ed.) 
