n advancing towards the forest in quest of powises,
maroudis, waracabas, and other feathered game.

These generally sit high up in the tall and tufted trees, but still are
not out of the Indian's reach; for his blowpipe, at its greatest
elevation, will send an arrow three hundred feet. Silent as midnight he
steals under them, and so cautiously does he tread the ground that the
fallen leaves rustle not beneath his feet. His ears are open to the
least sound, while his eye, keen as that of the lynx, is employed in
finding out the game in the thickest shade. Often he imitates their cry,
and decoys them from tree to tree, till they are within range of his
tube. Then taking a poisoned arrow from his quiver, he puts it in the
blowpipe, and collects his breath for the fatal puff.

About two feet from the end through which he blows there are fastened two
teeth of the acouri, and these serve him for a sight. Silent and swift
the arrow flies, and seldom fails to pierce the object at which it is
sent. Sometimes the wounded bird remains in the same tree where it was
shot, and in three minutes falls down at the Indian's feet. Should he
take wing, his flight is of short duration, and the Indian, following the
direction he has gone, is sure to find him dead.

It is natural to imagine that, when a slight wound only is inflicted, the
game will make its escape. Far otherwise; the wourali-poison almost
instantaneously mixes with blood or water, so that if you wet your
finger, and dash it along the poisoned arrow in the quickest manner
possible, you are sure to carry off some of the poison. Though three
minutes generally elapse before the convulsions come on in the wounded
bird, still a stupor evidently takes place sooner, and this stupor
manifests itself by an apparent unwillingness in the bird to move. This
was very visible in a dying fowl.

Having procured a healthy full-grown one, a short piece of a poisoned
blowpipe arrow was broken off and run up into its thigh, as near as
possible betwixt the skin and the flesh, in order that it might not be
incommoded by the wound. For the first minute it walked about, but
walked very slowly, and did not appear the least agitated. During the
second minute it stood still, and began to peck the ground; and ere half
another had elapsed, it frequently opened and shut its mouth. The tail
had now dropped, and the wings almost touched the ground. By the
termination of the third minute, it