The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-23

AnlbIie iut 4
rana-Poisoned Arrows and How
They Are Made-A New story OF
the Creation and Of the Origin OF
Eacr~-Oucer SuperStitions father
ell by Explorers in the Wiids OF
Eastern Peru and Bolivia.
copyrighted, 1914, by Frank G..
Carpenter.)
Guaaui. Bolivia.
During my travels on h high pla-
team Of the Andes, / have heard many
strange stories about the vast uneX-
plored country that slopes down to
the Amazon valley. In coming across
axe Titicaca | travelled with an
American railroad contractor who Is
building a line through the heart OIL
Bolivia. He has been taking a vaca-
ton Of two or three months, ana mas
Just returned from a gold prospecting
tour in the regions of the Madre de
Dios. one Of the high tributaries OF
the Amazon. The Madre de DiOS rises
on the other side of the great noun
tain wall that skirts the northern side
Of Lake TitiCaca. II flows in a wind
ins course into the Benz. and on into
the Mamore and Madeira. coming out
through the latter stream into the
Amazon below the city of ManaoS.
The region where ii rises is wild. and
much of that through which 1T flows
II known only to the Indians. Mr..
Avant travelled on foot down this river
He started out from CuZco. at an al
titude of over two miles o sea
level, with a guide an interpreter and
eight Indians and he descended to re-
gionS that are less than a half mile
above the sea. The mountains he
crossed We're more than 5000 feet
high. and his way led from the sla-
cierS and perpetual snow down into
- tropical jungle. with c~roCOdiles, boa
constructors. palm trees and rubber.
IA We sat in the rude hotel here at
Cualut this morning Mr.. Avant told
me something of the animal life of
that region. He says that the country
swarms with game. The woods are
TUT of wild turkeys, that look like
p~eacocks, each bird having a topknot
and very bright plumage. The flesh
~ excellent. and ii tastes like our wild
turkey. Another bird of the same
species is called the pabogil. This is
twice as big as the largest American
turkey. and its flesh tastes about the
same
| asked as to wild beasts, and Mr..
Avant replied that he saw droves Of
peccaries, or wild hogs, and also tapirs
and jaguars. The jaguars came
around the camp at night. and were
now and then to be seen as the party
made its way through the woods.
Much or the journey was along the
banks OF the streams and the party
did not lack for fish. Whenever they
wanted a fish dinner all they had to
DO was To explode a dynamite cap in
the water. and a ONE later the
surface would be covered with dead
hSh From n such explosion they
took out 300 pounds. Some Of the
tsh were as long as your arm and
were OF "A delicious flavor Among
- - 4. - -.
OF various kinds. One had
no scales and its enormous head was
more like that Of "A fish than of ar
alligator. The skin. was OF a blush
cast, with a few specks here ant
there. These reptiles are said to b.
dangerous, and the natives would no
go into the waters where they live.
In talking of the Indians MT. AVIAN
said that the most of sthem are no
rtendi To foreigners. They are saw
ages. who dress almost altogether il
bark. and their chief weapons ar,
bows and arrows tipped with poison
Some of the tribes are t,
b. c1nnibals and all are in Il very loy
state OF civilization.
IL was at Lima that 4 met Mr.. w
Hell Taylor Of Boston. who had jus
come down from the coal mines il
the high Andes near Cerro de pasc,
~ tho Will ItfH ABOUT a
expedition he had recently made fror
Ambato. Ecuador. down the easter
slopes OF the Andes. into the Amaze
valley. His trip took three month:
and during this time he travelled O
foot and in ano for more than |
400 miles through the wilds. 1t too
hin nine days To reach CaneloS. O
the Rio Bobanzo. during which tim
lie walked and had men to carry h
cargo. Each of the ~argador ca,
RED seventy-fve pounds. The who
way was through the Jungle.
Caneios the party took canoes ar
Heated down one OF the Amazon tr
butarieS to the mouth Of the Ucaya'
winch iS one of the sources of II
Amazon. The Ucayali flows into II
Maranon, and the latter goes dow
INTO the main stream. Mr.. Tay,.
visited lquitos. the chief rubber DO
OF the upper Amazon, and then can
back overland through Peru. I
describes Iquitos as IA city of 25. o
inhabitants and as one Of high pric.
1t cost him IS a day there for his 70,
alone.
Among the most interesting stori
told me by MIR. TAYLOR were thc