The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-17
bRAzLL|ANS USE POISON
IN FISHING AND HUNTING

washington, Aug 17.-Fishing and
hunting with poison, as practiced by
the natives of Brazil and other tropical
American countries, is described in a
communication to the National Geo
graphic Society at Washington. bv
Dewey Austin Cobb
Brazil is certainly the lazy fisher
mans paradise" he says. ut was
only after two years residence among
the secretive Indians that was reluc-
family taken into their confidence suf
hclently to be permitted to Join them
on one of their fishing excursions. We
followed the stream for half a mile or
so, to where it spread out into a pool.
perhaps fifty feet across. The men
divided into two parties, one going I'D
and the other down the stream a few
rods. They then entered the stream
and, thrashing the water with their
feet and with sticks, returned, driving
all the fish before them into the pool.
Meantime one of the women had
grated some of the mysterious abr
basco' roots, resembling horseradish.
into about two quarts of water. This
was thrown into the pool at various
points. In about two minutes we be-
gan to see minute fish come to the
surface, belly up, remain a few sec
onds and then disappear. In ten min
utes all the small fry were on the sur
face, apparently dead, and larger ones
began to go through the same perform
ance. With a long-handled scoop-net,
the leader nearly filled bushel basket
with fish from eight to twelve inches
long in half an hour.
Some of the fish were boiled, but
| hesitated about eating them. The
leader, surmising my reason, took sew
eral spoonfuls of the poisoned water
and, mixing it with a dippedful of wa
ter, drank it down. 1t had not the
slightest effect upon him. Never did
| enjoy broiled fish more. To all ap-
pearance the fish remaining in the
stream, except the smaller ones. were
affected by the poison only through
their respiratory organs, and expert
enced no lasting injury.
I'm hunting, the arrows, which are
dipped in poison, consist of a point of
wood or bone, not more than an inch
long, and the size of toothpick. to
which is attached little tuft or hairy
fiber of the silk cotton tree. The gun
is straight bamboo tube, from five
to six feet long, with sight at one
end and funnel-shaped expansion to
fit the mouth at the other. The prin-
cipal is precisely the same as the
school boys tube for blowing putty
balls. Even the most expert natives
can shoot only short distance, as
compared to firearms, but their ac-
curacy is wonderful"
Mr.. Cobb gives the following de-
scription of the shooting of deer:
"A good sized buck walked out of
The corn and stopped, exposing to us
its full broadside as we lay some
thirty feet away. One hunter fred.
The animal gave slight start as he
felt the prick of the arrow on his
flank, and turned pa1tly around, sniff
flng the air for scent, and looking
around as If searching for the insect
that had bitten him. Detecting moth
ing, he stood still and unalarmed. Al
tn end of minute or SO, his head
dropped a little, as if he was sleepy.
The hunter stepped out in plain sight
The deer looked at him and moved
forward, not away from him, a few
steps and stopped. He showed no
fear. but simply curiosity.
my companion and / rose and the
three 81 Us walked quietly within reach