i m n n
C H A P .
XV'.
viélims never efeape, the points beihg: dipped, in the
. weorara poifon. As au .-mfiaace'.of «d^idyeadfulieflafti
öf^tbif poifonj I ihaU qrdy tnëntioiLa hegro woraat% whhj.
during the la te -.rebellion in Berbicè, being- Hightly
wounded by a poifohéd arrowj not oriy almóft ihltantly-
expired, b u th é f fucking infant, though hot touched by
the arrow, loft its life by taftingMhér milk. .
Their manner of eatehtog fifli Is much the fahieia*
I have* defcribed at the .Hope,;by incloiing.the ?entry
of ftfiall creeks or ihoal Water with fa paleihg, ihootiog
them With their trident arrows, of | poifoning the water
by throwing in it t i e foots o f PiareeA, in Sufinamcftied
tr 'mgee-tw&do- or konanteéy by which thé fifti become
ftupified, ahd are taken by the hand, while they float on
the fiïrface of>the water; as boys in England^ who by
mixing: f the 'Coadus In&cuS): or I drugs ©f ififailar eflfejffi,
with baits which the fifli will take, find themTobn after
rife to the furface, whence, i f they arè not fpeedily taken,,
they will recover and 'efeéfcé, the dnigs only ftupifyibg;
them for ja .while; Thcfe are the. only occupations ó f
the men, except making their fhmitam/ornaments, and
arms.
I muft not forget that every Indian carries a chih,(
which they call apoot&a, for their defence. Thefe club*
are made of the heavieft wood in the foreft; they are
* This tree is. much fought after by the Indians, who fend quantities of it to-
Paramaribo and the plantations.
* about
about eighteen inches long, flat at both endsp’and fquarC, C H Ap.
but'heavier at thO one end than the other. . In the mid*- ..—, 1
die they are thinner, (fend are wound about with ftrong
xotton threads, liras, to 'b e g-rafped,; having a Ibop to
fecure them round the ;wrift,' as the., fword-taffels are
Vifed. byfome; cavalry.. One. blow with this club, in
;whichLir fmquenrtyp/ftxeii. a' fliarp/ftohe; fcattefs the
■brainsv- rThey' are ufed • by; tKe| ,(3udana Indians like the
tomahawk by the CherokS^-nn* which, betides- other
'hidrdglyphical-:figures, Ihey-often "carvb the- number of
perfons they have-flam in battier, f TheArianneri oft fixing
the ftone imthe clubmr-apootobdl by ftackhagrit? in the
tree jwhi^~ it ■is'^yet''growing, where it foon.-become^ fo
be .'forced put rafter, which .the wooii
is eu't„ and fh'aped aceord^ng.to fancy. u
, The ’women are *- occupied in plahtingi eafTavaV plarr-
(tains,, and other roots,* belides flam’s, iSser'iin drefling
the victuals, and ,in making earthen, pots,"-.bracelets,
bafkets, or*.cotton hammocks.;* Their- heft' bafketssi are
called pagala, and are’ formed of V dduble; matting; of
ruflaes called, 'marimbo* fome white,, fume‘brown, be-
kW§eb which, is .a reparation,, of;-hwy. or. troolyfteiaves,,
to, keep put. the: wet. The' coyering:is pfually larger
-and deeper than- the! balket itfelf,. which. it altogether
envelopes,, and thus makes it- ftronger ;.Ahe- whole retting
on two crofs pieces of- wood fixed to the bottom:..
Their hammocks are - woven,, which muft require, a.
ftonfiderable. portion: of time: and trouble,, being, done:
thread!