The Western World: Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North; and South AmericaKingston, William Henry Giles
History
The Western World: Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North; and South America
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Natural history -- North America; Natural history -- South America
Some tribes, using a powerful long-bow, shoot birds in the air at a
great distance. The hunter, throwing himself on his back, with his
quiver by his side, places his feet against the bow, raised to the
required elevation, and thus, stretching out his legs, draws the arrow
to his head on the ground. By this means he is enabled to kill wild
fowl and other game at an enormous distance. An amusing writer on
Venezuela mentions an Indian who used to place a piece of money on the
top of a lemon, close to the point of the big toe on his left foot, and
then, leaning backwards, bend his bow with the help of his right one,
and shoot into the air at an angle of 85 degrees,--the arrow never
failing when it turned round to come down and strike the coin. Another
would shoot a bird soaring above his head, without looking at the
bird,--guided only by the shadow cast upon the ground about mid-day.
STALKING GAME.
In the same legion, the Indians form a sort of trumpet out of bamboo,
covering one end with a thick membrane. On blowing through the other, a
sound is produced resembling the bleating of a young fawn. Hiding
himself behind a tree, the hunter decoys the doe towards his place of
concealment, when he easily shoots her with his poisoned arrow.
The following is another device for approaching the deer in the open
plains. These animals seem to have a peculiar fondness for the tall
crane of the Llanos--a large white bird, with long, slender legs, and at
least five feet in height. It has a pouch of a bright scarlet, and a
bill nearly a foot long, and wide at the base, which enables it to
swallow a large fish at a mouthful. The hunter forms a mask to resemble
the head of the crane, and, clothing his own dark body in white, holding
his weapon low down, goes off in the direction of the deer, taking care
to approach it to leeward. He then imitates the movements of the crane.
When the deer stops to look at him, he bends down his head as if
feeding. As soon as the deer again begins to browse, the hunter
carefully approaches it till he gets within range, and can shoot his
deadly dart with certain aim.
MODE OF KILLING ALLIGATORS.
The Indian bravely attacks the huge alligator, fearless of its enormous
jaws, sometimes shooting it with arrows from his bow. The arrows are
fitted in the same way as those used for killing turtle--the head
remaining in the body of the animal, while the shaft, secured to it by a
line, floats on the surface; which showing the direction taken by the
saurian, it is chased and transfixed by either lances or arrows till it
dies from exhaustion. On these occasions it is often attacked, it is
said, by the caribes, and partially devoured, before it can be dragged
on shore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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