Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-16
w.apon. of tho YocutInaians.


From the Overland Monthly
As 10 the implements and weapons oil
the Yocuts, there are some interesting
particulars TO be noted. The Indians
on the plains, as everywhere in the San
Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, make
no bows, but purchase them all from the
mountaineers. This is because they
have no cedar. This wood is extremely
brittle when dry, and is then the poorest
possible material for bows; but by an
nointing it every day with deer's mar
row while il is drying, the Indian over
comes this quality, and renders it the
best. The bow is taken from the white
or sap wood, the outside OF the tree be-
ing also the outside Of the bow. II is
scraped and polished down with wonder
full pains-taking, so that it may bend
evenly, and the ends are generally carved
so as TO point back slightly. Then the
Indian takes a quantity Of deer sinew,
splits il up with flint into small
6bres, and CLUES them on the fiat outside
of the bow until it becomes hemisphere
cal These strips Of sinew being Tapped
around the end of the bow aud doubled
back little impart TO 1t an amazing
strength and elasticity. The glue is
made by beiling deer and elk bones, and
combining the product with pitch. i
saw bow, thus carefully made, in the
hands of white-haired chief, and it was
truly a magnificent weapon. 1t was
about FIVE feet long, smooth and shining
for whenever it becomes little soiled
tn fastidiouse savage scrapes it slightly
with flint, then annoints it alresh with
marrow-and of such great strength that
il would require giant to bend it pro-
perly. For lack OF skins the owner car
ried it in a calico case. The string,
composed OF strands of sinew, was pro-
badly equal in strength to halfinch
rope of sea grass. When not in use the
bow was unstrung, and the string tied
around the left segment. To prevent
the slightest lesion Of its polished sur
face, the old hunter had slipped on the
bow, where the string was tied around it,
a short section of fur from a mountain
cats tail.
OF arrows, the Indians living on the
plains make few for themselves, from
button willow, straight twigs of buckeye,
and reeds; but the most durable come
from the mountains. There are two
sorts-war arrows and game arrows; the
former furnished with flint heads, the
latter not. The shaft of the war arrow
generally consists of single piece, but
that of the game arrow frequently con-
tains two or three pieces, furnished with
sockets, SO as to fit into each other. When
the hunter lurking behind the covert, be-
holds the quarry approaching, he
quickly measures with his eye the prob
able length of the shot he will have to
make, and if long one, he couches the
arrow with three pieces; but if a short
one, with extraordinary dispatch, he
twists it apart, takes out the middle sec
ton, clasps together the two end sec.
lions, and shoots An arrow made Of
what we should account the frailest ma
terial, the tender shoot of buckeye,
and pointed with flint, has carried death
to many a savage in battle. Ihave seen
an Indian couch game arrow, which
was pointed simply with piece of ar
row wood, and dive it a half inch into
the body Of an oak. One old hunter
says he has seen a California Indian
stand e full hundred PAGES from a hare,
raise his long and polished bow, shoot a
quick glance along the arrow, then send
it whizzing through both the enormous
ears Of the animal, pinning him fast to
tree