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v ol. xix. Astoria, Oregon, Sunday Morning, September 16, No. 144. CATCHING SEA-COWS. How the Natives Capture Them in South American Rivera. It was the good fortune of an Entfuxrcr man early last week lo run across John G. Gonzales, a native of Venezuela, who for the past ten 3ears has been employed upon an English steamer running un the Mucdalena river as far as Honda, at the foot of the Andes. This route is the most convenient to Bogota, the capital of the United States of Colombia, or New Granada, as it is called in some geographies. Among other interesting matters pertaining to the country Mr. Gonzales describes a tribe of savages called Ottomacs, or Dirt Eaters, whose habits and mode of life are something more than passing strange. They live on the banks of the Orinoco river. a short distance above the point where the river makes its second srreat turn to the cast. "Thev arc a horrid-looking set of people when in full dress," he said, "and their full dross means no dress at all. They first give themselves a' priming of rod which consists of a dye called 4a:lnatto,, and is ob tained from a plant. Over the red ground they form a lattice work of lines or blocks, with a dot in the center of every little square or diamond. Their long black hair is well oiled with turtle oil." "Do they live upon dirt en tirely?" . :0h, no. The are passionately lond of sea-cow, which they call nianati, because its fins bear a faint resemblance to the hads of a human being. It has also nails well developod upon the outer edge ofits fins or forearms. . ' It is a large ish, usually about twelve feet in length, and weighs from. five to eight hundrud.g Its body is shaded something like a huge seal, it has a large, fiat rounded tail, sctiiorizontally, which serves the purpose of a rudder to direct its course in the water. Behind its shoulders appears a pair of flip pers for you cannot call tiiem fins which look 'all the world like a pair of hands set into the ,body without arms." The fish uses thein for creeping along the banks of the river, and to assist in carrying her 3'oung. The lips of the fish arc covered with bristles or hair, giving lo the countenance a. sort of human appearance, which accounts for the name sometimes given it by sailors woman fish since it has large mamma;, or Jjrcasts. It does not look like a mermaid, if-such :i fish could ex ist. The fish, strang to say, lives upon grass, which it finds along the banks of the rivor, and of this it eats an enormous quautfo, usu ally browsing at night, whon all is quiet "The season formnnati hunting or fishing is after the floods, when the waters are falling rapidly. "When tlfc nunaa'tion is at its height the raanati pass ont of the channel current of the great river, and, iu March of grass finds its i way into the great lakes and sure rounding marshes, and remaining to browse upon the grasses, is an easy objeot captured. Sometimes and more commonly, perhaps, the Indians assemble in a large body with their cauoos and hunt the vcowYlsh'm a wholesale manner. Sometimes the monks who have Charge of the JlSpanish missions hci& these Hunting expeditions, for Oiough it is ts, mammiferous animal they findft very conven ient to style it a "fish during Lent. A camp is formednear shore and largo scaffolds are "erected for sun drying the flesh and skins, and pots and kettles are brought for renting the fat into oil, which is callediinanati butter. The oil is used In the lamps?of the mission churches, as wcllas in cookery, as it possesses none of the fetid smell peculiar to whale and salt water petacaj. mAt the proper time the fisherman starts off in his canoe tar 'dug-out, which is hoi lowcaciut from a single trunk. On jseetbg the cowfish resting on tfe surface -of the water, the Otto- mac paddles toward it, using, however, the greatest caution, for though the fish's organs of sight and hearing are externally very poorly developed, yet it hears and sees well, and on the slightest ap proach of danger will dive out of sight. The animal is very timid and never shows fight, yet some times in his splashing about he upsets the canoe,but this is nothing to the Ottomac, vho is nearly as much of a water bird as the fish itself, "When near enough he takes good aim with his har poon, which, piercing the animal's body, sticks fast. To the har poon a cord is attached with a float, and the latter, remaining above water, indicates the direc tion the fish has taken. When it has wearied of struggling, the In dian proceeds to haul in the cord, drawing tlie fish to the side of his canoe. He rarely kills it outright until it is safely landed in the boat, and this lie does by driving a wooden plug into the creature's nostrils. The most curious part of this fishing procedure is the In dian's method of getting the huge fish, which may weigh a thousand pounds, into tho canoe, and his method is as original as it is in genious. Of course no single person could lift such an enormous weight, so the savage sinks the canoe below the carcass by first filling the vessel nearly full of wa ter, and when he has got his freight aboard bailing the ca noe out with a gourd. The fish thus secured he paddles to the rendezvous with his prize, not carrying it. however, to his own house, but to that of the chief, who apportions it out, according to the number of families in the tribe. The hide of the sea-cow is used for main- purposes, both for coverings lijitlteir .tonfe- anfl bed to lie down upon. The stratum of fat, or blubber which lies beneath is removed to be converted iuto oil, while the flesh, which is es teemed equal to pork, lioth in del icacy and flavor, is out into thin slices. This is broiled and eaten at the time, or cured, but not by salting down, but by sun-drying and smoking over a slow fire. This dried1 fish thus cured lasts for a long time. The alligator's flesh is similarly cured, though this is an animal that few tribe of even savages will eat, yet tho Ottomacs relish it." "You say they are dirt-outers?" "Yes, sir; and I moan it in its literal sense. You know tho French traveler, Macroix, who explored the sources of the river Amaxon, found a tribe of Indians so infernally layy that having eaten up all the four-footed ani mals in their reach, including par rots and monkeys, snakes and creeping things, were reduced to living solely on bugs and insects These Ottomacs arc fully as bad. They live upon mudballs when the river is high and fishing ceases. It is a sort of unctuous clay of a peculiar kind, which they find up on the banks of streams. It is soft to the touch, like putty. In its natural state it is of a yellow ish-gray color, but when hardened before the fire it assumes a tinge of red, owing to tho oxide of iron that it contains." "Is is nourishing?" "Not in the least. It merely fills up produces a satiety and satisfies the pangs of hunger. 1 have been told by chemists and medical men who have analyzed the little balls into which they roll it to'stow away, that it contained nothing nourishing, simply silex and aluminia, with three or four per cent of lime. They call these balls poyd) and store them up into little pyramids, just as cannon balls are piled in a fort. Each ball is three or four inches in di ameter. When hungry, he takes a ball and softens it by wetting, and eats about a pound a day. There is something in the dirt-eat ing habit which produces a sort of craving for it. I do not think the habit is confined exclusivelv to the Ottomacs, but believe that it is generally known among- the In dians of the tropics. 1 have just heard ef a poor class of whites liv ing in North Carolina, who, when pressed by hunger, eat the mud daubings that hide the chinks in their cabins. "That's the country for turtles, and the mode of catching them is peculiar. There are two kinds of them in the Orinoco river the arau and terecay. The former is the largest, being very nearly a yard across the back, and weigh ing from fifty to one hundred pounds. Shy in their habits, it is no easy thing to capture them. They swim with their heads above water, exposing the soft and fleshy part of the neck, which is a fine mark for their arrows tipped, as they arc, with the deadly poison, curare. The terecay is not cap tured so easily. He floats in ths water completely below the sur face, not exposing a single portion of his body at which the marks man could take aim. The Otto mac's method of killing them is ingenious. He aims his arrow not at the turtle, but up into the air, the arrow describing a parabolic curve, and so aimed that it will fall perpendicularly upon the tur tle, penetrating his thick shell and piercing his vitals. "Gathering turtle eggs during the laying season is both profitable and fun-affording employment for the Ottomac. This season occurs in March, when the waters have gone down and loft the banks bare. Then for weeks before mil lions of turtles arc seen either basking in the sun or lazily float ing'near the breeding place. As the sun grows warmer the desire of the turtle to deposit its eggs be comes sometuin'r uncontrollable. For weeks before the animals can be seen in a long row in the water, liftinsr un their heads and ncoks and looking at their intended nurserj, as if to see if all is safe And it is well that they act so carefully and with -such caution, for turtle eggs are a delicacy that are highly esteemed by a number of animals. The iajjuar lurks upon some of the limbs of the overhanging trees, ready to both suck the eggs and eat the turtles afterward. The alligator has sense enough to watch the turtle lay them in the hot sand and dig them up. The white cranes love them, while the black vultures fly in a dark cloud overhead, ready to swarm down and devour. The Indians hide out of sight of the turtles and endeavor to fight off the other animals, but this they have to manage most carefully, for if anything like a panic occurs the entire herd would seek quarters for hying elsewhere. The turtles generally la' their eggs at night, for then the horrid black vulture is asleep and stupid. Each turtle scoops out a hole of nearly a yard in diameter and depth, and de posit therein from fifty to one hun dred eggs. Then it covers them carefully up, smoothing the surface and trampling it firmly down. Sometimes, in the fluny and ex citement, several turtles lay in the same nest, and with their un wieldy bodies break each others eggs. The shells crackle and break, sounding like the roar of a cataract 011 the night air. Some times all the turtles do not arrive on time. Then they seem to lose all the fear and timidity that they formerty displayed, and they rush upon shor and in the presence of the Indians proceed to lay their eggs with the greatest of sany froid, so great is their desire of maternity. The Indians call these 'mad turtles,' and, turning them over on their backs, have no diffi culty in catching them. When the turtles have all gone the egg gathering commences. The ground is staked off like an oyster bed, and each tribe works by itself. The land upon the top of the nests is removed, the.canoes drawn ashore and the eggs loaded, broken and pounded and whipped about, as if a gigantic omelette were to be made. A certain quantity of water is added and the mixture poured into large caldrons and boiled uutil the oil -comes to the top, which.is skimmed off and put into earthen pots for use and sale. While the egg-gathering goes on some of them are hatched out and tin- turtles, not any bigger than a silver dollar.crawl outof their shells and as lively as young crickets, skedaddle over the sand trying to get to tho water. Then the fun commences. Stark naked boys and girls, alligators, cranes1 and vultures all rush in a heap for these delicacies. It's a sort of free fight, open to savage, beast; bird j and reptile, and all seem equally to understand and enjoy it. The ' young Ottomacs seize the little1 turtles and eat them body, bones, head, tail, and all, requiring noj more cooking than their animal competitors. The turtle over, these savages have a grand spree. They gorge themselves on ..! n u -i ..11: . ..!.. washing it down with oil, mauati butter and baked mud-pies. They daub themselves all over with colored mud and get gloriously drunk on a species of snuff called niopo,' which has a similar effect to opium. Then they become quar relsome and want to fight, and thoir mode of pummelling each other is unique. They do not use clubs or stones or weapons of any kind, but poisoning their finger nails with the deadly curare, which is one of the most mysterious and speediest of all vegetable poisons, j they proceed to scratch each other, j In the event of any of this poison entering the circulatory system, death by spasms ensues iu a short time. And vet this same curare a u.. ..ui .. c Germany to be the only cure for hydrophobia." Mr. Samuel Weakley, Sunt. A Tr1.-., -r-, o Ct;i. i)o.. J Adam a Express Lo. StaOles, Z2ad 1 T-? ti 1 1 1 t- otreer, rniiaticinina, rn.. savs St.Tacobs Oil cured him as if by magic of a most severe rheumatic attack. On the Mexican Central Rail road tracks are now laid at the rate of three miles a day. It is be lieved that the road will be com pleted from El Pascrto tiic city of Mexico by the first of May next. Heuralgia, Sciatica, Lumbago, Backache, Soreness of the Ohesf, Gout, Quinsy, Sore Throat, Swell' ings and Sprains, Burns and Sccfds, General Bodily Pains, Tooth, Ear and Headache, Frosiod Foot and Ears, and all other Fains and Aches. Ho Preparation on cxrth equals St. J a cots Oil as a safe, sure, simple and cheap External Etmtdjr. A trial entails but tho conparatiTely trifling outlay of 50 Cents, and ererr one uCer lng Kith rain can baTo cbeap end poiilirs proof of iU claims. Directions In Eleven lansnagcs. D0LDLYALLDSUQGIBTSAin)DEALEE3 A. & CO., Salt hnorc, 2StI., XT. Jf. A. . Aliei Wholesale and retail dealer In MILL FEED. Glass and Plated Wars, TROPICAL AND DOMESTIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Together with Wines, UquorsJobaccoXIgars 0 IMS . & MM mw0 I figagfiSga ! ! M A 3$fy$eSV PUYG, This powder never varies. A marvel o purity, strength and whalesomeness. More economical than the ordinary kinds, and cannoi he sold in competition with the mtd- titude of low test snort weight, alum or phosphate powders. Snhlonlyin cans. Roy- ATjIIAKIXi; l'OWDER UO.. 10G WOil-St. N. Y. In fever and Acne Olstriata. in tronieal and l oiDor regions vi?ucu ny cpiacmics. ana m- Uecd in all localities whero tho conditions are F..v.r Vt a t til. il.r. r unfavorable to health, this famous vo2etablo invigorani and alterative llostcttcr's Stom ach L' liters, has ucon found a potent safogunrd oven to feeblo consti.utions andfraril frames. while as a euro for indigestion, biliousness ana Kindred complaints, it 13 without a rival, Kor sale oy all Drupuists and Dealers Rcncrally. iiU iKLS AtfD RESTATJKAOTS. PARKER HOUSE, SI, H. PAHKKK. Prop., ASTORIA, - - - OREGON. K. P. rAKKlil:, - Manager ami ARent. AI .CItO.SIiY,. - - Day Clerk- Phil. BOWERS, - - Nisht Clerk, .la. DUFFY has the Bar and Billiard room. First Class in all Eespects. FREE COACH TO THE IIOUSE. IT IB A FACT THAT JEFF'S CHOP HOUSE ON Crncorn!y Street is the Best in Town. THAT JIo lias Always o I la ml FKEtiH Slioal IValer Hay and Easl r Oysters. THAT " JEFF" IS THE BOSS CATERER. THAT tlr Iim lM"f l'rirlcJor of the "Anront Slutel in I'lnapptou seven years. OPEN BAY AND NIGHT. COSMOPOLITAN Chop House and Restaurant. OPEN DAY AND NIGI1T. Ilea's 5 cents anil upward. G. nOUIARD, -31.4 IX STREET. - Proprietor. - ASTORIA. 22. 3- 3E5. E2 DKAl.KK IX Hay, Oats, Straw. Lime, Brick, Cement and Sand Wooil Delivered to Order, Drcying, Teaming and Express Business. Horses ana Carriages for Hire. DEALKU IX '.VINES, L'.QUORS AMD CIGARS. CLASS I. W. CASE, POUTER AND WHOLESALE AND 11& TAIL DEALER IN nTnnrn i t Corner Chenamu? and Cass streets. ASTOP.IA .... OREGON ifflSTETTEnvi j " CELEBRATED H A fefe ST03IACH SITTERS WILLIAM HOWE -DEALER IN- Doors, Windows, Blinds, Transoms, Lumber. All kinds of OAK LUMBER, ,; GLASS, Boat Material, Etc. 1 Boats of all Hnds Made to Order. 1 E37Orders from a distance promptly attended to, and satisfaction guaranteed In all cases S. AENDT & EERCHEN, ASTORIA. - OREGON. The Pioneer Machine Shop BLACKSMITH - sho vm n i nt Doner anop 3 Ail kinds of ENGINE, CANNERY, AND STEAMBOAT WOES Promptly attended to. A specialty made of repairing CANNERY DIES, FOOT OF LAFAYETTE STREET. ASTORIA IRON WORKS. Bkntox Street, Near. Parkeii House, ASTORIA. - OREGON. GENERAL MACHINISTS AND BOILEfT MAKERS. LAlailEMEEMES BoilerWork, Steamboat Work and Cannery Work a spe cialty. OASTISTG-S , Of nil DcscriptionB made to Order at Short Notice. A. D.Wass. President. J. G. Hustler, Secretary, I. W. Cask, Treasurer. Joittf Fox, Superintendent. LOEB & 00, JOBBERS IN WINES. LIQUOES, AND CIGARS. AGENTS FOR THE Best San Francisco Houses and Eastern Distilleries. Tumblers Decanters, and All Kinds ofSaloon Supplies. J5fAH goods sold at San Francisco Prices. MAIN STREET. Opposite Tarker House, Astorht, Oreuon. BUY THE BEST ! BARBOUR'S Irish Flax Salmon Net Threads Woodberry, and Needle Brands, SEINE TWINES. AND CORK AND LEAD LIKES, Fish Founds, Seines, and Xets Imported, to Order. A LarieStocMMiiJislLiies AND FISH HOOKS. CONSTANTLY ON HAND. KENRY DOYLE & CO., 517 and 519, MARKET STREET SAN FRANCISCO. "Agents for the Pacific Coast. FOARD & STOKES, WE HAVE OPENED AGAIN In Hume's New Building, And are Eeady to Supply the Wants of Our Customers. A FULL STOCK OF Fresh Groceries, 7T ry- e AND Bracket Work A SPECIALTY. BUSINESS C43JDS. 1 X FUITOr. ATTORNEY AT LAW. Rooms 5 and 6, Odd Fellows Building:. V. AIiliI2AT, Astoria Ascnt Hamburg-Magdeburg and German-American FIKE INSURANCE COMPANIES. C. IIOI.IJEN', NOTARY PUBLIC, AUCTIONEER, COMMISSION AND IN STOANCE AGENT. J"AY TSJTTliE. 21. I. ntYSICIAN AND SURGEON OpyiCH Rooms 1, 2, and 3. Pythian Build ing. Residence Over J. E. Thomas' Drug Store. Q.EJLO I I'AItKKK. SURVEYOR OF Clatsop County, and City of Astoria OlOce :-Chenamu3 street, Y. M. C. A. hall Room No. 8. P. 2JICKS, PENTIST, ASTORIA, - - , OREGON Rooms In Allen's building up stairs, corner f Cass and Sqemocqhe stret . J Q.A.BOiriiBV, ATTORNEY AT LAW, Chenamus treet, - - ASTORIA, OREGON J J.JO.VES, STAIJS BUTLIEIC, Ship and Steamboat Joiner, JQR. J. U. laPORCE, Room ll, 0ld Fellows Building, Astoria, Or. Gas administered for painless extraction ol teeth. .T. CURTIS , ATT'Y AT LAW. Notary Public, Commissioner of Deeds for California, New York and "Washington Ter ritory. Rooms 3 and A, Odd Fellows Building, As toria. Oreson. N.B.-Clalms at "Washington. D. C, and collections aspecialty. OEO. T. WHEELS!:. W. L. KOBB. WHEELER & EOBB. GENERAL REAL ESTATE, INSURANCE, AND COLLECTION AGENTS. Real Estate bought and sold on Commis sion. Accounts adjusted and Bills collected. Correspondence from abroad solicited. G7"0fllce in Hume's new building, on Squo moqua street, next door to Foard & Stokes. GENERAL STEAMSHIP AGEHCY. Bills of Exchange on any Part ol Europe. 1AM AGENT FOR TIE FOLLOWING well known and commodious steamship lues, STATE LINE, RED STAR, WHITE STAR, HAMBURG-AMERICAN, DOMINION LINE, NATIONAL, and AMERICAN LINE. Trepaid tickets to or from any European port. For full information as to rates of fare, sailing days, etc, apply to I. "W. CASE. BOZORTH & JOHNS. Real Estate and General Insurance Aqents. ASTORIA, Oregon. WE WRITE POLICIES IN THE "WEST ern. State Investment, Hamburg, Bre men and North German Fire Insurance Com panies, and represent the Travellers' Life and Accident of Hartford, and the New York Life, of N.Y. We haw tho only complete set of township maps In the county, and liave made arrange ments to receive applications, filings, and final proofs on Homesteads, Preemptions. Timber Lands, etc., having all tho official blanks therefor. Our mans can be exam ined in the office, upon the payment of a reasonable fee. "We also have for sale city property in As toria and additions, and farms and tide land property. Rents, and other collections made, and loans negotiated. BOZORTH & JOHNS, Gas and Steam Fitting DONE BY RUDDOCK & "WIB2ELER. AT fair rates. Also a complete stock of goods In our line. Estimates given and work guaranteed. Cass street. In rear of I O 0 F Traildlng, next to Gas Co's office.