Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-05
Philadelphia, august 10, 1917.
COMPOSITION OF THE INDIAN pol
son FOR ARROWS.

IL is fact well known to persons CONVEX
SAINT with tie history of South America, that
the Indian tribes, iuhabltng the extreme wilds
of that continent, between the Oromoquc and
Amazon rivers, have long been accustomed to
prepare their arrows with poison which they
cali W0uTaA: the composition Ot which was
wholly unknown TO Europeans resident in that
country, though its fatal effects had been too
frequently felt. With view 10 ascertain its
component parts, and the method of mi sing
the ingredients, in order, If possible to disco
yer some antidote 10 its destructive con
sequence, gentleman named Watertun, I'M
dertook IN the early part of the present year.
To penetrate into the interior of Guiana, and
after perlloUs Journey of a hundreds twenty
days, succeeded in obtaining the desired iufor-
nation. In the interior Of ESsequibo remote
from any European settlement, MIR. Waterton
found q tribe OF savages, knswn hy the name of
| Macoucui indians who ex celied in the prepa,
ration OF the io1;Tah. FROM them he learned
that the principal ingredients of this deadly
poison, and that from which it takes its name,
Is the WOnra! vine, which is indigenous TO
the forests of DenleTaFa and ESseuuibO. Two
species ofroOts, OF 4 bitter taste, unknown to
European naturalistS, and two kinds of bul.
bous plants peculiar to those SiOnS, the stalks
OF which are filled with glntinous juice of
pale green colour, aud which, from their rari.
~. are not to be obtained without considerable
diincuIty; and quantity OF the strongest In
dian pepper, form the vegetable parts of the
| Nourali poison. TheahimaI ingredients consist
of two species of ants one of ,rhichis extreme.
~ large, of black colour, and SO extremely
ycnomous, that its sting invariably produces
fever; the other is a smaller insect, ola bright
red colour, lDhaD,tinG nests formed in the leaf
OF a particular shrub and whose sting Drodu-
ces the effect Of nettle a painful itching pus-
tule appearing instantdneouSiy on the wounded
part. The last article of this extraordinary
| composition is the fangs of the Labarrie and
CouuaCociiie snakes, Niiich when any of these
animals are killed, are always carefully extract.
cd, dried, aud beaten to Il iinc pow Ter. The
ingredients obtained, the method OF preparing
the poison is as fOllOwS:-The vine branches
and bitter roots are first sCTaDed into tine slId.
wings and placed into a sort OF Cuilendcr OF
stfaIner made OF leaves, over a Hew edrtlcn
pot; sufficient quantity of water being
thrown on the shayingS, the liquor which comes
through is Of tie colour, and much resembles
strong coffee. The STALKS of the bulbous plauts
are neSt bruised, ana the Juice expressed into
an eaItncn vessel hy squeezing the stalks in
the band. The SNAKES fiugS, tie ants. and the
pepper, are tiICn pounded together, added 20
ilie liquid, and The whole is placed over u slow
if:e, where II is boiled down to thick syrup OF
q deep brown CoiOHr. The scum which rises
on The top % The mi Xturc during the boiling
IS carefully removed with leaf, and as soon
as this scum ceases to appear, the poison is
considered prepared. What may not be re-
required toT immediate Use, is preserved in lit.
tie pots 81 Indian manufacture, the apeTtures
oi which are covered with two or three leaves
and tied down with decrs skin 80 as electnally
20 exclude tic air: the influence of which, il is
understood, would maj erialy affect the strength
OF the poison; is then put away in the driest
part Of the hut, and occasionally suspended
over the fire 10 prevent the effects of damp.
ManY supersuUOus precautions are taken
By tlie indians in the preparation Of the Won
rail- poison, for the purpose OF preventing any
reyensoiul tricks being played on them by the
puaiabow or Evil Spirit, whom they appear to
consider jeHlous OF the intrusion into lis area
va Of destruction. Tie cf.cc; Of this poison
| Oh IN arifuh sdyparcnt n about Il minute after
! it Is wounded by the arrow and however
! slight the puacture or scratch may be, has ne.
| yer, IN any one instance, been Known 20 fail of
/ producing death inTaiherless than five minutes
/ The moment az auimal is struci, by poison
I ed arrow, it ciihcr stands quite stiil or walks
/ forward al q very slow pace win It's Read in.
/ glined 20 She ground, as f in q state Of stupe.
/ faction ~ the second minute this stupOr eyi.
| IDENTITY increases but the animal does not APP
1 pear TO suffer any pain; IN the Third minnie,
/ conymlsve efiOrts 70 move apparently accom-
| panied by dTOwsincss aud uOddiug Of the
| read, take place; thcse struggles are cOuSide-
! rabiy increased in the fourth INFINITE, and gen.
orally pnt period TO life before the expiration
| OF the fifth. What IL rather a remarkable cir
! cumstance in the Wo2fali poison is, that no IN
jury whatever is done to the flesh Of birds a.
nimals killed by il; the flesh is perfectly whole.
some, and wlllkeep rs l0ag as 1t tie animal had
/ been killed 5y ans other means; aud even the