The Columbus journal., 1882-03-15
Fishing with Horses for Bait.

cHAS WI 1oaSO
In traversing the LIanas OF the Prov.
ince of Caracas. in order to embark al
San Fernando de Apure, on the voyage
up the OrinocO, NJ. BOnpland stopped
at CalabOzO. his object being to investi
gate the history of the gymnotus. an
electric eel. great numbers of which are
found in the neighborhood. After re.
naming three days there some Indians
conducted him to the CanO de Bera. q
muddy and stagnant basin. but u
rounded by rich vegetation, in which
some grand Indian figs and some mag
Eiiicent towering odOriferous mimosaa
We're pre-eminent. He and his friends
were much surprised when informed
that it would be necessary to take thirty
half-wild horses from the neighboring
sayannahs in order to fish for the GYM
nOtus. The idea of this fishing, called,
in the language of the country, emjar-
baScar con cadalkOs Intoxicating by
I means of horses). is very old. The
word barbascO indicates the roots of
: the !Lacguinia, Or any other poisonous
plant, by contact of which a body of
water acquires the property of killing,
OR. at least. of intoxicating or stupefy-
ing the fishes. While their hosts were
explaining to M. Bonpland and party
this strange mode of fishing, the troop
of horses and mules had arrived. and
the Indians had made a sort of battue,
: pressing the horses on all sides, and
forcing them into the marsh. The In
dianS, armed with long canes and har-
poems, placed themselves round the
basin; some of them mounting the
trees. whose branches hung ver the
water. and by their cries. and still more
by their canes, preventing the horses
from landing again. The eels, stunned
b. the noise, defended themselves by
repeated discharges of their batteries.
For a long time it seemed as If they
would be victorious over the horses.
Some of the mules especially, being
almost stiiied by the frequency
and force Of the shock. disappeared I'M
der the water, and some of the horses,
in spite of the w~atchfulnrss of the In
dams. regained the bank, where. over
come by the shocks they had under
gone, they stretched at full length.
The picture presented. M. Eonpland
says, was o indeScribabIe. Groups of
Indians surrounded the basin. the
horses. with bristling names. terror and
grief in their eyes. trying to escape
from the storm which had surprised
them; the eels, yellow and livid. loos.
ing like great aquatic serpents SWIM
ming on the water and chasing their
enemies, were objects at once appalling
and picturesque. In less than five min
utes two horses were drowned. An
eel more than five feet long glided I'M
der one horse, discharged its apparatus
through its whole extent; attacking at
once the heart, the viscera, and the
plexus of the nerves of the animal,
probably benumbing and finally drown
ing it. When the struggle had endured
a quarter of an hour, the horses and
mules appeared less frightened, the
names became more erect, the eyes ex-
pressed less terror, the eels Stunned in
place of attacking them, at the same
time approaching the bank, when they
were easily taken by means of the long
cord. and were drawn ashore without
being able. to communicate any shock.
Having landed the eels they were
transported to little pools dug In the
soil and filled with fresh water, but
such is the terror they inspire that none
of the people of the country would re-
lease them from the harpOOR, a task
which the travellers had to perform
themselves. and receive the first shock,
which was not slight, the most ener-
getic surprising in force that. commu-
nicated by a Leyden jar completely
charged. The gymnotus surpasses in
size and strength all the other electric
fishes. They vary in color according
to age and the nature of the muddy
water in which thew live.