Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-28
TIE SUMPITAU.
~ Peculiar Blow-Gun and Poisoned Ar
rows Used by the DyaIzs.

rows Used by the Dyaks.
A peculiar weapon, and one whose
like we have not yet seen, is the ''sum-
pitau' or blow-gun of the Dyaks. This
weapon IS long, straight and pol
ished tube of heavy wood, about eight
feet long and an inch OF two in dame
ter, bored out with the utmost care,
customarily ornamented with tweed
patterns, and often surrounded at the
end with metal. At the end, dashed to
the side in such a way as not to inter
fere with the main Use of the weapon,
is often found spear-head, giving the
sumpitau a two-fold use, and showing
us that it was after all no Caucasian
who invented the bayonet.
The sumpitau shoots poisoned ar-
row. This is only about six or eight
inches long, and as thick as a heavy
darning needle, being frequently only
a large thorn. At its base-secret Of
the force with which it can be blown
it has little wad or ball of pith, which
just fits the caliber throughout.
The top of this tiny arrow is poisoned,
Rev. Mr.. Wood thinks, with the juice
of the deadly native upas tree; but in
this he is not necessarily right. Mr..
Carl Book, who is perhaps the only
traveller of note who ever saw the pro-
cess of preparing the arrows, thus de
scribes what he observed among the
Poonians of the interior:
They had bundle of arrows by
their side, and as soon as the poison Gus
matter was hot, they took a small
quantity and smeared it over a wooden
plate, by means of wooden instru-
ment resembling a pestle, till the plate
was covered with thick layer. Then
taking an arrow, they rolled the head
across the plate, SO that it became
coated with the pasty matter. Next
they made a spiral incision in the ar
row head, and again rolled it over the
plate. What this arrow poison is made
of, / never could ascertain, notwith-
standing all my inquiries on the spot.
1t certainly contained nicotine,
which the Dyaks collect from their
pipes, when they get foul, after smok-
ing"
Many scientific men of Europe have
attempted the discovery of the nature
of this poison, but have failed; nor has
an antidote been discovered which is
more certain than the common treat
ment for snake bite-copious
draughts of spirits and abundant exer-
else with cauterization of the wound
1t is probable that different poisons are
used.
The wound of this tiny arrow is usu-
ally within a few minutes fatal to ami
II
to march against an enemy so armed;
for the hidden foe, using weapon per-
fectlY silent (even more so than the
bow and spear) can creep undiscov-
cred to easy distance, and Stay dozen
men before his location can be deter
mined. 1t is strange, too, at what
range this weapon is fatal. At forty
or fifty yards the native can use it with
perfect accuracy and can even do exc
cution at seventy-fve to one hundred
yards; distance almost incredible.
English sailors soon learned to dread
the canoe attacks of these fierce pirates,
who came on with their "pea-shoot-
ers," and blew perfect cloud of death
darts through every Granny of the
ships defenses.
The Dyak uses the sumpitau as a
hunting weapon, for which it's perfect
silence renders it the more serviceable.
Most of his game is killed with it. He
cuts out an inch or so of the flesh from
about the tiny wound, and then eats
the animal with perfect impunity. The
poison seems not to affect the remain
der of the body at all. The effect of
this poison is supposed to be a stoppage
of the action of the heart Ger. Anae1-
icaaa Field.