The natives on the banks of the northern rivers also employ a poisonous
root for catching fish. It resembles a turnip, with a small plant
rising from it, and is called by them cima. A decoction of it being
made, it is mixed with boiled maize ground into paste. The Indian and
his family go forth to the pool with a number of baskets to carry home
their prey. Besides the poison-paste, he supplies himself with some
pellets of paste free from it. On arriving at the pool or stream, he
throws a quantity of the latter into the water, which attracts a variety
of small fish from all quarters. He then begins to throw in the
poisoned bait, which is no sooner swallowed than the fish begin to leap
out of the water, and tumble about in all sorts of ways, when they are
easily caught by the children, and thrown into their baskets, which in a
short time are filled.
The Indians of the Orinoco also entrap fish in other ways. When the
waters begin to ebb at the end of the rainy season, they form strong
stockades across the outlet of the great lagoons in which a number of
the larger fish, as well as turtles of enormous size, have taken refuse.
The stakes of these stockades are driven into the bed of the channel,
close enough to allow of the exit of the water and the smaller fish
only. It is further secured by cross-beams thrown across the channel.
Sometimes, however, so numerous are the fish, and so enormous their
size, that they break through the stockade in spite of all the
precautions taken.