Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-15
HUNTERS USING
POISONED DARTS
Natives of Brazil Put Game to
Sleep With Missile Shot
From a Blow-Gun.

Washington, d. c.. Aug. 15.-Fisn'
ing and hunting with poison, as prac
ticed by the natives of Brazil and 9th
er tropical American countries, is de
scribed in a communication to the Ma
tional Geographical society at Wash
ington, d. c.. by Dewey Austin Cobb.
Brazil is certainly the lazy fisher
mans paradise" he says. 1T was
only after two years residence among
the secretive Indians that l was re-
luctantly taken into their confidence
sufficiently to be permitted to join
them on one of their fishing excur-
sions. We followed the stream for
half mile or so, to where it spread
out into a pool. perhaps fifty feet
across. The men divided into two par
ties, one going up and the other down
the stream a few rods. They then en-
tered 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 bar
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
face. belly up, remain few seconds
and then disappear. In ten minutes
all the small fry were on the surface,
apparently dead, and larger and larger
ones began to go through the same
performance. With long-handled
scoop-net, the leader nearly filled
bushel basket with fish eight to twelve
inches long in half an hour.
Some OF the fish we're broiled, but
I hesitated about eating them. The
leader, surnising my reason, took sew
eral spoonfuls OF the poisoned water.
and. mixing 1t with a dipperful of wa
ter. drank 1t down. 1t had not the
slightest effect upon him. Never did
enjoy broiled fish more. To all APP
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.
In hunting, the arrows, which are
dipped in poison. consist of point of
wood or bone, not more than an inch
long, and the size of a toothpick, to
which is attached little tuft or hairy
fiber of the silk cotton tree. The gun
is a straight bamboo tube. from five
to six feet long. with a sight at one
end and a funnel-shaped expansion to
fit the mouth at the other. The prin-
ciple is precisely the same as the
schoolboy's tube for blowing putty
balls. Even the most expert natives
can shoot only a short distance. as
compared with firearms, but their &C
curacy is wonderful"
Mr.. Cobb gives the following de-
scription OF the shooting of a deer:
A good sized buck walked out OF
the corn and stopped, exposing to us
It's full broadside as we lay some thirty
feet away. Our hunter fired. The
animal gave a slight start as he felt
the prick of the arrow on his flank,
and turned partly around shifting the
air for scent. and looking around as
II searching for the insect that had
bitten him. Detecting nothing. he
stood still and unbalanced. At the end
Of minute or so. his head dropped a
little. as II he was sleepy. The hun
ter stepped out In plain sight The
deer looked at him and moved for
ward, not away from him. few steps |