The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-21
HUNTING WITH BLOW GUNS.
Savages of Guiana Who Use These Queer
Weapons with Poisoned Arrows.

The blow pipes used by the savages
Of Guiana for shooting poisoned arrows
are very wonderful weapons indeed. The
climate Of this equatorial region, being
both very hot and very moist, produces
a vegetation of astonishing luXuriance
The forests are commonly ankle deep in
water for mile after mile, and, conse-
quently, the animals found there mostly
inhabit the trees. Monkeys are exceed
ingly numerous. For killing these tree
dwelling creatures the blow gun is the
best possible instrument. 1t is made
from a peculiar kind Of reed, and, al
though eleven or twelve feet in length,
its weight is only a pound and half.
1t is provided like a rifle, with fore
sight and a back sight, the latter being
made of the teeth of a small beast called
the acouchi.
The natives are most careful respecting
the straightness OF their blow guns, and
never allow them to lean against anything
lest they should be warped. The arrows
employed are made from the leaf ribs
of a kind OF palm, made to fit the bore
Of the gun by a wrapping OF wild cotton
fastened with a fibre of silk grass. Great
art is required to put on the cotton pro-
perly The arrow is about ten inches
long. no thicker than a crow quill, and
at one end is brought to a point as sharp
as a needle by scraping II between the
keen-edged, saw-like teeth Of the pirai
fish. One-half Of a pirai jaw is always
suspended to the culver.
Tie vegetable poison used for eIvenom-
ing the arrows is called "curari." 1t is
extremely powerful and will kill n man
within a few minutes when Introduced
into the circulation by an arrow point,
Il oil Cd
1t is very difficult to procure the strong
est "curari" from the natives. Who are
most unwilling 10 part with it, The arrow
heads are kept carefully separate from
the shafts as a precaution against acct
dents. the savages themselves being very
much afraid of the poisons which they
employ. The secret Of preparing the
poison is handed down by the medicine
men from generation 10 generation, and
the common people are not permitted
to know il.
First must be sought the curari vine,
which is closely allied TO the tree which
furnishes strychnine, and to the upas
tree. from which the Dyaks of Borneo
get the poison for their arrows. When
the poison maker has found the curari
he looks for two Dubious plants. the stems
OF which yield a glutinous juice. Another
vegetable ingredient is the bitter root,
commonly used by these savages in
poisoning water for the purpose of catch
ing fish. To the mixture composed OF
these elements the medicine man adds
tive kinds of venomous ants and the
poison fangs Of deadly species Of snakes.
The whole is allowed to simmer over a
fire, the snakes fdngs and "nts being
pounded and thrown into the pot The
boiling Is continued until the poison Is
reduced 10 a thick brown syrup. Finally
a few arrows are dipped eXperimentally
I'm the poison. and its effece is tried upon
some animal or bird. If satisfactory the
poison is poured into a spherical earthen-
ware pot, in which ii is kept, carefully
covered over with leaves. TO exclude air
and moisture.-From the Washington
Star.