Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-03-22
BUSINESS BOWS AND ARROWS.
How tho Indians Make weapons
That VIII Pierce Buffalo

That Will Pierce Buffalo
Through.
from the st. Louis Globe Democratl
In the Navajo reservation found Pc
dro, the husband Of the beautiful Anser-
ino, in little hogan, with his young wife
seated by his side. He is an iron and sill
yer smith and barbs arrows for war and
hunting.
"Tell me the story of an arrow" quer-
led. "Tell me, Pedro, the whole process
of making fine bow and arrow"
Pedro, who can talk broken English,
then began this interesting story:
"The first western Indians to use ar
rows were the Cheyennes. The Indians
cut their arrows in the fall, in the arrow
season, when the wood is hardened to
Withstand the blasts Of winter. The
shoots must not have any branches or
knots on them. They are not quite as
thick as ones little finger, and they are
sorted and tied in bundles of twenty and
twenty. five. These bundles are two or
two and q half feet in length, and wrapped
tightly from end to end with strips of raw
hide or elk skin. The sticks are then
hung up over fire, in the tepee, to be
smoked and dried, and the wrapping keeps
them from wsrping or bending. When
they are seasoned, which takes several
weeks, the bundles are taken down, the
covering removed and the bark sorsped
off. The wood Is very tough then and
of yellowish color. The next thing lie to
cut the arrow shafts exactly one length,
and in this great care must be used, for
arrows of different lengths fly differently,
and unless they are alike the hunters aim
Is destroyed. Another reason for measur-
ing the length of arrows la to identify
them. No two warriors shoot arrows of
exactly the same length. Each warrior
carries measuring stick, and 1t is only
necessary to compare an arrow with the
stick to find out to whom 1t belongs. But
should the arrows by chance be one length,
then there are other ways of Identifying
them. Every hunter has his own private
marks In ths head, the shaft or the feather.
"Ths shaft. being made even, the next
thing Is to form the notch for the bow
string. This is done with q sharp knife,
and when done properly the bottom of the
notch will be exactly In the center of the
shaft. The arrow Is thsn shaped and ta-
pered toward the notch to prevent the
string from splitting the shaft and to
make q firm hold for the thumb and fore
finger in drawing the bow. All the ar
rows are peeled, scraped and notched
and then the warrior creases them. To
do this he takes an arrow head and
scores the shaft in ziszsg lines from end
| to end. These creases or futed cutters
| in the shaft are to let the blood run out
when an animal lie struck. The blood
| flows along the little cutters in the wood
and runs off the end of the arrow.
/ HTba head In ada pf otnal ~
| stone. It is shaped like a heart or dart
and has stem about an inch long. The
sides of the stem are nicked or filed out
like the teeth of q saw. Nearly all the
| wild Indians now use steel arrow heads,
they being g great article of trade among
i the savages. Eastern firms manufacture
Thousands of them and sell them to the
traders, who sell them to the Indians at 9
fabulous price or trade them for furs
When the shaft is ready for the head ths
warrior saws slit with a nicked knife In
the end opposite the notch and insert,
the stem of the arrow head. The sill
must be exactlyjn the center of the shat
and as deep as the stem Is long. wher
properly adjusted the teeth of the stem
show themselves on each aide of the slit
Buffalo, deer, or elk ainew Ia then softenet
In water and the wood is wrapped firmly
to the arrow head, taking care to ft tn,
sinew In this tsells of the stem, which viii
prevent the head from pulling out
"The NEXT process 10 to put on tn,
feathers. To do this properly great car,
must be taken Turkey or eagle quilts at,
soaked In warm water to make them spill
easily and uniformly. The feathers ar,
then stripped from quill and put on th,
shaft of an arrow. Three feathers ar,
placed on each shaft and they are lait