Wanderings in South America, the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles, in the years 1812, 1816, & 1824 / [Charles Waterton] ; with original instructions for the perfect preservation of birds, &c. for cabinets of natural history.

  • Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865.
Date:
1828
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Wanderings in South America, the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles, in the years 1812, 1816, & 1824 / [Charles Waterton] ; with original instructions for the perfect preservation of birds, &c. for cabinets of natural history. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    FIRST Prepara- tion of the wourali poison. used; but this he has already planted round his hut. ‘The pounded fangs of the Labarri snake, and those of the Counacouchi, are likewise added. These he commonly has in store; for when hg kills a snake, he generally extracts the fangs, and keeps them by him. | Having thus found the necessary Cane toonetet he scrapes the wourali vine and bitter root into thin’ shavings, and puts them into a kind of colander made of leaves: this he holds over an earthern pot, and pours water on the shavings: the liquor which comes through has the appear- ance of coffee. When a sufficient quantity has been procured, the shavings are thrown aside. He then bruises the bulbous stalks, and squeezes a proportionate quantity of their juice through his hands into the pot. Lastly, the snakes’ fangs, ants, and pepper are bruised, and thrown into it. It is then placed on a slow fire, and as it boils, more of the juice of the wourali is added, according as it may be found necessary, and the scum is taken off with a leaf: it remains on the fire till reduced to a thick sirup of a deep brown colour. As soon as it has arrived at this state, a few arrows are poisoned with it, to try its strength. If it answer the expectations, it is poured out into a calabash, or little pot of Indian manufacture, which is carefully covered with a couple of leaves, and over them a piece of deer’s skin, tied round with a cord. They keep it in Lo a)