Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-08
DEADLY ARROWS.
The brazilian Blo,v-Pipes and Poison

The Brazilian BlOtC-PipeS and Poison.
The Arecunas Indians are the makers of the
deadly blow-pipe, of which much has been
told by Wsterton and others. The blow-pipe
is fashioned from the stem of straight tree
without branches, but bearing leaves about the
size of rhubarb leaves. This tree, the name of
which do not learn, often grows to the height
of thirty feet Like the bamboo, it is hollow,
except at the joints. Sometimes the natives
get rid of these impediments by piercing holes
through them with long spikes of hard wood;
sometimes they cut the entire stem open, re-
move the obstacles, and then glue together the
stem so cleverly that the fastening is scarcely
perceptible. The surface is then polished and
bone sights placed about a foot from each end.
They make moro of these blow-pipes than they
require for their own use, and the residue they
sell to the Macusis, frem whom they obtain in
exchange the wourailli poison.
The Macusia of the Canuca mountains say
they are the sole patentees of this subtle and
renowned poison; and even of the Macusls only
a few know how to prepare it. 1t is accounted
great secret, and is impaired from father to
son or next male heir when the former is be-
lieved to be at the, point of death. Not only
are there few persons who are possessed of the
secret, but the process of manufacture is car
ried on on comparatively rare occasions, and is
surrounded with degree of solemDitY which
is indicated of the high Importance with which
they regard the operations. For ten days
previous to the first boiling down, all the men
who are TO take part in it are supposed to fast,
and all the women of the tribe are carefully
kept out of the way. Whether this latter pre-
caution is due to a superstitious belief that the
female presence is In some occult way in
imical to The manufacture, or whether it
arises from the circumstances that
eastern ideas regarding the inquisitiveness
of womankind prevail among the untored saw
ages of the west, is point on which am
without positive information. 1t is fact,
however, that women are vigorously excluded
from the mystic rite. The long arrows the
natives use with the bow are sometimes dip.
ped in the poison, and small piece of bamboo
placed over the tip to prevent anyone being
accidentally pricked by It. The bow-pipe ar
rows, or shafts, arc thin slips of hard wood,
made from the stem of the leaf of the cucurate
palm. They are generally from twelve to eigh-
teen inches in length, sharpened at one end,
and wrapped around at the other with com.
mon cotton, or with the brown, sllk-like cotton
of the silk-cotton tree. The sharp points are
dipped in the wourali, which is of the color
and consistency of melted glue. These they
carry in wicker case, shaped like dice-box,
but larger, very closely woven, and with a
leather top and bottom, the top opening on
The length of the blow-pipe itself varies
from twelve to fifteen feet. generally noticed
that when the tribes are on their travels or
hunting expeditions the longest of these in
struments are carried by the smallest Indians.
Thus equipped they range through the forests,
shooting monkeys, birds, or such ether animals
as come in their way. The only antldote to the
poison they are in the habit of using is kind
of earth-worm, we'll known to them and
common enough in these parts. Should
any of them be so unfortunate as to
get scratched, hasty search is made for
| some of these earth worms, which are pounded
| together, portion being used to anoint the
wound aud the rest swallowed by the patient.
The same remedy is used to bring back
monkeys, maccaws, and other animals from
| the jaws of death. I believe the cure is gener-
ally successful if applied before the poison has
had time to make much headway. and can
| speak from direct personal observation in one
instance. We had a caIarawah (maccaw) blue
! and yellow, which had been captured by being
| slightly wounded with a wouraill arrow, and
the earthworm application was SO efficacious
that the bird not only recovered but few
weeks after we had it it took flight and left us
| forever.