114 SUPPOSED PEEVEHTIVE OP THE SHOCK. 
gerated among the common people, that during three days 
we could not obtain one, though they are easily caught, and 
we had promised the Indians two piastres for every strong 
and vigorous fish. This fear of the Indians is the more 
extrordinary, as they do not attempt to adopt precautions 
in which they profess to have great confidence. When 
interrogated on the effect of the tembladores, they never tail 
to tell the Whites, that they may be touched with impunity 
while you are chewing tobacco. This supposed influence of 
tobacco on animal electricity is as general on the continent 
of South America, as the belief among mariners of the effect 
of garlic and tallow on the magnetic needle. 
Impatient of waiting, and having obtained very uncertain 
results from an electric eel which had been brought to us 
alive, but much enfeebled, we repaired to the Cano de Bera, 
to make our experiments in the open air, and at the edge 
of the water. Wo set oft on the 19th of March, at a 
very early hour, for the village of If astro ; thence we were 
conducted by the Indians to a stream, which, in the time 
of drought, forms a basin of muddy water, surrounded by 
fine trees,* the clusia, the amyris, and the mimosa with 
fragrant flowers. To catch the gymnoti with nets is very 
difficult, on account of the extreme agility of the fish, which 
bury themselves in the mud. We would not employ the 
barbasco, that is to say, the roots of the Piscidea, enthyrna, 
the Jaequinia armillaris, and some species of phyllanthus, 
which thrown into the pool, intoxicate or benumb the eels. 
These methods have the effect of enfeebling the gymnoti. 
The Indians therefore told 11 s that they would “fish with 
horses,” (embarbascar con caballos.t) We found it difficult 
to form an idea of this extraordinary manner ot fishing ; but 
we soon saw our guides return from the savannah, which 
they had been scouring for wild horses and mules. They 
brought about thirty with them, which they forced to enter 
The extraordinary noise caused by the horses’ hoofs, 
makes the fish issue from the mud, and excites them to the 
attack. These yellowish and livid eels, resembling large 
* Amyris lateriflora, A. coriacea, Lauras pichurin, Myroxylon secun- 
dum, Malpighi a reticulata. 
f Meaning tc excite the fish by horses. 
