The Midland express., 1893-03-03
BL0W-GUNS OF GUIANA
Qu.sr weapons Used BY S.,sagcs To
Shoot Poisoned Arrows

Shoot Poisoned Arrows
The bIow-pipes used by the say
ages Of iuiana FOR shooting poison
ed arrows are very wonderful wca-
.pons indeed says the Philadelphia
Tcicarn7Dh. The climate of this equa-
tSriai region, being both very hotand
very moist, produces a vegetation
Of astonishing luxuriance. The for
ests are commonly ankle-deep III
water for nIile after mile, aud, COLI
scqucntiy, tho animals found there
mostly inllabit the trees. Monkeys
are exceedingly numerous. For kill
Ing these tree-dwciling creatures the
bluw-gun is the best possible instfu-
ment. 1t is made from Il peculiar
kind of reed, and, although eleven
or twelve feet iii length, its weight
IL only pound and u half. 1t Is
provided, like a rife, with fore
sight and back sight, the latter
being made of tho teeth OF q small
beast called the abonchi.
The natives ara most careful re-
specting tile straightness Of their
blow-guns, and never allow them
to lean against anything lest they
should be warped. Tho arrows en-
pioyed are made from the leaf ribs
of kind Of palm, made to fit the
bone Of the gun by wrapping OF
wild cotton fastened with "a fibre
Of silk grass. Great art Is requir-
ed to put on the cotton properly.
The arrow Is about ten inches long,
no thicker than crow quill and
at one end Is brought to point
as sharp as needle by scraping
1t between the keen edged, saw-like
teeth Of tho piral fish. Ono half OF
piral Jaw 10 always suspended to
the CULVER.
The vegetable poison used for en-
venoming the arrows is called
Acurari." It ID extremely powerful,
and will kill man within o few
minutes when introduced into the
circulation by an arrow point, though
II In harmless when swallowed. It
is very difficult to procure the ttrong-
est 4curarI" from tho natives. who
arc most unwilling TO part with u,
Tho arrow-heads are kept carefully
separate from the shafts ~ q pre-
caution against accidents, the say-
ages themselves being very much
afraid Of the poison which they en-
ploy, The secret OF llcparing the
poison is handed down by the med
icine men from generation to gen.
! Grafton, and the common people are
not permitted to know 1t.
/ First must bo sought the curari
vine, which is closely allied to the
tree which furnishes strychnine, and
to the upas tree from which the
Dynks Of Bornco get tho poison fol
arrows. When the poison-maker has
found the curnri ho looks for two
dubious plants. tho stems Of which
! yield glutinous juice. Another
vegetable Ingredient is the bettel
-oot, commonly used by these saw
!: ages in poisoning water for the pur'
poso Of catching tlsh. To tho mkt
ure composed OF these elements the
, medicine man adds two kinds OF ven
i onous ants and the poison fangi
Of deadly snakes. The whole IL al
= lowed to simmer over q fire, th'
! snakes fangs and ants being pound
3 ed and thrown into tho pot. Th'
3 boiling Is continued until the poi
t son is reduced to q thick brown
!. syrup. Finally few arrows ar'
, dipped exp 'rimentally in the poison
: and its effect is tri6l upon SOM
( animal or bird. II satisfactory tn
t poison IL poured into y spherica
: earthcnware pot, in which it Is kept
: carefully covered ever with leaves
. to exclude air and moisture.