The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-26
THE DEADLY BIONP|PES
Indians Have Developed Rare
Skill With This Weapon.
HOW THEY ARE MADE.
Fourteen or Fifteen Feet Long
strhight as an Arrow The In.
side Is as Smooth as Glass
Darts Are oisoned-Have a
Range Of Two Hundred Feet.


says Paul Fountain, in "Longman's
Magazine. THE first, called the
poo eoona, is made of the oorah reed.
This remarkable reed is only found
IN the Orinoco River, and there only
at certain spots. The oorah grows to
the height of at least thirty feet, and
the basal joint of which the blow
pipe is made, is fourteen or fifteen
feet long, straight as an arrow, and
without knot. The inside of the
reed is as smooth as glass, hence the
facility with which the dart traverses
1t. Very little of the reed is cut away,
so that the pipe is about twelve feet
long, and SO strong that when held
horizontally there is not the least
bend in it.
THE reed, having been carefully
selected, cut and prepared is inclosed
In a small, thin, palm trunk, which is
split open for the purpose, scraped
thin as a wafer and then rejoined
with the reed in the centre. This
palm, for length, straightness and and
hghtness is as remarkable as the
reed. The whole pipe, when finished,
never weighs more than a pound and
a half or a pound and three-quarters.
Both the mouth, or muzzle, and the
breech are bell mouthed, the bell
pieces being fixed on.
There are front and back sights,
the latter formed Of the curved teeth
of the Dasyprocta acouchi, a species
of rodent somewhat larger in size
than a wild rabbit. Two of the in
cisors of this animal are fixed on the
hreech of the pipe by means of wax.
The teeth being placed parallel to
each other, and very close together,
the sight is taken between them. Some
times the foresight is made in the
same way, but it more often consists
of the single sharp tooth of fish. 1t
is placed about a foot back from the
muzzle, the back sight being affixed
four feet along the tube, so that it is
a considerable distance from the eye
when aiming.
THE missile used with this tube is
misnamed an arrow. 1t is really a
dart, scarcely bigger than a large
darning needle, and with a point
quite as fine. The dart is made of
the rib of the coocooreete palm leaf,
and is so heavy that it will sink in
water. 1t is about seven inches in
length, not thicker than large
needle, and the usual number that an
Indian carries with him when shoot
ing is from $50 to 500, ready poisoned,
but not prepared with the necessary
cotton plugs These darts are strung
together something like the reeds on
which soft cheeses are placed, and
then rolled on a stick, and carried in
a quiver, points upmost, it being re-
quisite to protect them from every
chance of being broken or dulled. To
protect the hand when handling them
the top of the stick is furnished with
small, wheellike shield.
THE fine points are given to the
darts by means of the teeth of the
devilfish (Serrasalmus piraya), and
the cotton with which they are plug
ged before use is found growing wild.
II is bound to the base of the dart
with thread made of silk grass, this
thread, with wax obtained from sew
eral trees, being largely used also in
making the blowppe. The skill used
In binding the plug of cotton to the
dart must be great, or it will not fly
true and far when shot. The Indian
never carries more than five or six
ready plugged, and when they are
lost he must draw others from the
quiver and plug them. He always
tries them repeatedly before use, and
perhaps never succeeds IN getting one
to fly perfectly true. But if it is only
few inches out of flight, like a rifle
man, in aiming he makes allowance
for this inaccuracy, and it's proves to
he of little moment
There is knack in blowing the
darts from the pipe. | have succeed
ed in propelling them about hun
dred yards, and | have never seen a
European send them further, but the
Indians puff them double that dis
tance, and at a hundred to a hundred
and fifty yards, will hit mark only
few inches square. | have seen ma
and toucans at the last distance once
in two or three shots.
when a dart has been shot, If it
misses it's mark, the Indian takes
great pains to find it on account of
the danger it is to persons walking
near the spot, for, if trodden or it is
likely to be as fatal as the bite Of
the most yenomous snake. | have
formed the opinion that the woorali
poison used to tip the darts owes its
great virulence to the venom of a
snake which, think, is mixed with
1t; but ! need not discuss that mat
ter here.
although it is so light, the blow
pipe is clumsy weapon to handle,
on account of its great length, and
1t is easily damaged. The slightest
wrench or knock renders It useless,
and the Indian is most careful to
avoid accidents of this kind. lie car
ries the tube In a vertical position,