The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-04
BLOwGUNS TO KILL LIONS.
TIL WAY INDIANS OF COLOMBIA
STAY MOUNTAIN GAME.

To'hoheo ArroWs' SHOT from Long BtoWGuns'
Make the Capture OF Fierce Bcnsts Eass-A
Cl'h EnE,nccr's chase with " rnrty OF NH'
Nee"o' T'""or ndshoth here'
Tho blowgun would hardly appeal to the
most courageous hunter as an effective weapon
of offence or defence said o mining engineer,
who has spent many years In South America,
yet, armed with 1t the Indians of Ell Choco.
Colombia, pursue with equal Indifference TO
danger tho gaudy. timid toucan, whose dis
cordnnt notes OF 'Dios to de- God gives theel
fills the woods, or the ~stealthy puma, or noun
tnin lion. which can fell a man. or even n COW.
to the ground with a single blow.
Some years ago i was prospccting for gold on
the head waters OF the Condoto River, near tho
base of the Ccrro Iro, one of the highest peaks
OF the coast range OF tho colombian Cordilleras.
Our party included my assistant, an old Cali.
fornia miner. six negro poems. an Indian guide,
and myself. We had carried, as I calculated.
provisions TO last us a month. but ow-
ing to tho r%luttony Of tho Moons. or
moro nroh,blv ,bcir do0ira ro,rrn
by the aftoenth dny, NV guido sugrestod send.
ing back three OF the poems for a fresh supply,
but this 1 was unwilling to do, as 1 felt pretty
certain that they would not return. Then he
saiu .ha' ne "ou'u 20 10 santa iota on tho iro
River and get Indians to bring in enough food.
nut L was afraid thnt he wnnl1 fail tn ratnrn
..n.o,oir oaI -, haua.a.a.s ntn, 20 ,.,h
especially asi wouid nave 10 SEND MIN OH Win
"Tbe next dnv nv mon s,onped a bnlsa ma a
WINS boating down tho river, A bolso in ri
Choco Is the pith OF the palm called barrigona,
! meaning big belly. so named because It swells
ont at a h heiS ir Of > pwe a,tv to 'v ,h,rsv fact It's
diameter at that height Is twice that at the
base. The Indians drive n stout neg into It to
80 - -
uOlu Ou w uuu I " Il bnOOL tuO TupluS III
fine style. 1t is the only sport in which they
ever indulge. The balsa brought to me was
s.s... - ~. IOsn I,,".N
above us, and, accompanied by tho guide and a
We found four families all engaged in eeloorat.
s ehics sn' w nhIye' was o q, reS' to maze ma 0' or'nk'ns
"Chicha con he nrnnarsd v.rv dscsnt,v Nv
0r,n un,ona tbo ca" Horn DC u prepared = mortor very smt s ae1ent,y I ~
common ronort tho IndIon yvom.n nrenare a.
.onnNn iopv.', L .nan one pIop"Io ~
enware crock to ,ferment., I was about to re-
fuse the proffered bowl when one Of my men
t9ld me that II l refused the hospitality the In
drank; Chicha 10 not very Intoxicating. and one
e %iii n indi :; e s4 Ted the their % thirst
Tor It oy rubbing on the tongue q powder COM
posed OF red pepper ground In salt. .
evening was a large lion that had been providing
ABOUT the tambo. l suggested that we hunt for
h'm. III II Nv "hiSh wa uBiOOu " ~
by dawn a party OF seven Of US, accompanied by
as many dogs: were on the trail: The indians
we're armed with machetes and blowguns; Tho
dams. is mado OF q straight piece Of the dwarf
black palm from to 8 feet long, with q diam.
three-fourths of an inch. 1t is split care.
fully into two equal pieces by a ma.
Ghetto and stone hammer. After removing
the pith comes the difficult work of enlarg.
plished with the aid Of homemade iron knives
and partly decayCu teeth of tho lion. aROutiR and
peccary. The two pieces are then put together
And wrapped with strips OF the smooth birch.
the wax Of the comejcu ant, being used to
cem aT e tho bark on and make the tube alright;
same black palm. They are 10 inches
long, one-eighth or an inch thick IN the
The BUTT tHpi Is Wrapped "a with PS'" tho soft SOFT silky iHH
fibre of the wool tree tarbot, de lanai while
tho point. which Is notched SO as to
is obtained from a small yellow and re toad
that is found only on CerTo Torra, the highest
peak OF the coast range. The toads are spitted
upon one Of the arrows while the belly 10 tickled
With another. An orange colored viseous liquid
exudes. and in this the serrated points " the
arrows are dipped,
Taking up the broadly marked trail In the
plantain patch back OF the house we followed it
up hill and down dale, through t%ortuous ra-
dense undergrowth until we struck what finally
The dogs were then set free to bring the lion to
n halt. II possible. while we fastened on In sin.
gle file. The ridge rapidly became moro and
moro narrow. until at times l was glad 10 creep.
but the Indians appeared Indifferent to the dan:
ger of falling or dizziness. After an hours hard
work we heard the dogs and the angry growls Of
the lion. and soon we caught sight OF them about
seventy yards away. The toppled down trunk
OF a great icchcro, tree partially obscured our
vision, but afforded us a convenient means OF
approaching unseen. We moved forward until
we were not more than fifteen yards away.
AT the place where the lion stood the ridge
had broadened out, making a plateau some go
feet long by 20 feet wide. Around this were
NrnDnRh the dnu9 with the lion in the middle
slowly. switching his tail. He was crouching
ready for a spring at one Of the dogs. with his
left side toward me. when | raised my rifle to
shoot; But one Of the lnGians beside me said;
lion will hght.'
AT this time | had never killed a lion. and IT
was ridiculous to talk of my missing, but /
withheld simply to see what could be done with
blowguns. In n moment was. quickly repaid
for not shooting; for l saw how the lion catches
his prey. The lion was crouchinR. watching
some OF the dogs. One of the dogs ventured too
near ana the lion made q spring.. and when ho
landed his left forepaw was on the dogs neck,
on the back OF the dog.