It is from this country that those beautiful paroquets named kessi-kessi
are procured. Here the crystal mountains are found; and here the three
different species of the ara are seen in great abundance. Here too grows
the tree from which the gum-elastic is got: it is large and as tall as any
in the forest. The wood has much the appearance of sycamore. The gum is
contained in the bark: when that is cut through it oozes out very freely;
it is quite white and looks as rich as cream; it hardens almost immediately
as it issues from the tree, so that it is very easy to collect a ball by
forming the juice into a globular shape as fast as it comes out. It becomes
nearly black by being exposed to the air, and is real india-rubber without
undergoing any other process.

The elegant crested bird called cock-of-the-rock, admirably described by
Buffon, is a native of the woody mountains of Macoushia. In the daytime it
retires amongst the darkest rocks, and only comes out to feed a little
before sunrise and at sunset: he is of a gloomy disposition and, like the
houtou, never associates with the other birds of the forest.

The Indians in the just-mentioned settlement seemed to depend more on the
wourali poison for killing their game than upon anything else. They had
only one gun, and it appeared rusty and neglected, but their poisoned
weapons were in fine order. Their blow-pipes hung from the roof of the hut,
carefully suspended by a silk-grass cord, and on taking a nearer view of
them no dust seemed to have collected there, nor had the spider spun the
smallest web on them, which showed that they were in constant use. The
quivers were close by them, with the jaw-bone of the fish pirai tied by a
string to their brim and a small wicker-basket of wild cotton, which hung
down to the centre; they were nearly full of poisoned arrows. It was with
difficulty these Indians could be persuaded to part with any of the wourali
poison, though a good price was offered for it: they gave to understand