Evening star., 1923-02-18
BY A. HYATT vERRILL.

HE fears of my Indian guide |
anXiously expressed to me as |
we approached the region Of the
u Pantamonas were not without |
reason, for these aborigines of the |
Guiana forests are famed throughout
that part of South America as makers
Of poison. Not only do they concoct
and use the terrible Wurali, but they ,
are also adopts at preparing various
subtle and deadly substances with
which they destroy their enemies
whether these enemies be real or fam
cied
There are incidents on record of
Fatamonas poisoning an entire crew
of "balata bleeders." or gold diggers.
In revenge for the black mems inter
fering with the Indian women. Woe
be it to any Indian of another tribe
who earns the Patamonas' enmity.
Moreover. the Patamonas have the
name of sending forth most OF the
mysterious "kenaimas.' or curses.
and their pea.men or witch doctors
frequently possess hypnotic powers
For all these reasons the tribe is held
in peculiar dread by other tribes, and
no strange Indian will venture alone
into Patamona village. or. If he can
possibly avoid it, partake of their
food or drink.
The wurali poison. to be sure, is en-
ployed by other tribes as well, but
only limited number of men know
the secrets of its composition and this
is carefully guarded. Several species
of strychnine- lianas are used. as
well s certain gums. snake poison
and poisonous ants. The results Of
Uurali are almost instantaneous. A
bird shot with the poisonous dart
rarely has time to f1utter before it
falls helpless and dying to the earth.
These poison Gus darts of the blow
gun. indeed, are appallingly effec-
tive-slender fragile splinters of bam-
boo. though they are tipped with
the mortal wurali. For small birds
plain. imprisoned darts are the rule,
hut for larger winged creatures or
cuadrupeds, or enemies, the venom
tipped arrows are employed.
In order to prevent the dart from
dropping from the stricken creature
before the poison has done it's work.
as we'll as to guard against the fallena
missile menacing the lives of their
est. the dart to be used is inserted be-
tween the knife-edged teeth of the
rarai jaw and Is twirled about until
the poison-covered tip is nearly sew
cred from the arrow. When this en-
ters the body of bird or beast it
immediately breaks off, leaving the
Tcison-covered splinter in the wound.
while the harmless remaining portion
OF the dart falls to the ground.
Such was the hospitable reputation
of the people we were seeking More
over. their favorite article of diet-the
cassava root, is itself poson-that Is,
originally. though by a process taught
among themselves, they can transform
it into an edible. both nutritive and
palatable.
THIS was my third visit to British
l Guiana. l had come to study the
aborisines. to dwell among them, to
secure photographs and data and to
make collections. On such a quest,
therefore-a search for the untamed
Indian in his native haunts-my boat
crawled slowly up the Mazaruni river.
My objective was an obscure creek
about one hundred and fifty miles dis
tant. l had suspicion, nevertheless, |
that my tedious trip might prove
Wtld-goose chase, for no one, official |
protectors of Indians" or any others. |
could give me any definite informa-
tion as to the presence of Indian set |
Elements on the upper Mazaruni. To
set forth blindly in search of wild"
Indians seemed about as hopeless as
the proverbial search for a needle In
the hay.
All had to go upon as to direction
was rumor. for by merest chance I
heard from a civilized Indian that
there had been a village in the noun
tains of that district, but whether it
still existed. or whether the bucks"
had migrated elsewhere, was uncer-
tain. Only by personally investigat-
ing could l ascertain for sure and
had set forth, going as light as I
dared, to gain time.
Slowly the hours passed, for 1 was
all impatience to reach our destina-