and lastly ranges up and down till he finds two species of ants. One of
them is very large and black, and so venomous that its sting produces a
fever: it is most commonly to be met with on the ground. The other is a
little red ant which stings like a nettle, and generally has its nest under
the leaf of a shrub. After obtaining these he has no more need to range the
forest.

A quantity of the strongest Indian pepper is 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 he kills a snake he generally extracts the fangs and keeps them by
him.

Having thus found the necessary ingredients, 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 earthen pot, and pours water on the
shavings: the liquor which comes through has the appearance 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 syrup 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 the most dry part of the hut, and from time to
time suspend it over the fire to counteract the effects of dampness.