Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-03
THE DEADLY BLOWPIPE
HOW THEY ARE MADE BY THE IN
DIANS.
Natives Of Guiana Have Developed
Rare Skill in the Use of This
Delicate Weapon.

There are two kinds of blowpipes in use
among the Indians of Guiana. The first,
called the poocoona, Is made of the oorah
reed. This remarkable reed Is only found
in the Orinoco river, and there only at GER
tain spots. The oorah grows to the height
of at least thirty feet, and the basal joint.
of which the blowpipe 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 it. Very lit
tie of the reed is cut away. so that the pipe
Is about twelve feet long. and so strong
that hen 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 center.
This palm. for length, straightness and
l!ghtness- 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 lat
ter formed of the curved teeth of the Dasy
procta acouchi, a species of rodent solne-
what larger in size than a wild rabbit. Two
of the incisors of this animal fixed on
The teeth being placed parallel to each
other, and very close together, the sight is
taken between them Sometimes the FORE
sight is made in the same way, but it more
often consists of the single sharp tooth of
a 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.
The missile used with this tube is mis-
named an arrow. 1t is really a DART scarce
ly bigger than large darning needle, and
with a point quite fine. The dart is
made of the rib Of the coocooreete palm
leaf. and Is so heavy that it will sink in
water It Is about seven inches in length.
not thicker than a large needle, and the
usual number that an Indian carries with
him when shooting 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 stick, and carried In a culver,
points upmost 1t being requisite to protect
them from every chance of being broken
or dulled. To protect the hand when hand
ling them the top Of the stick is furnished
with a small, wheellike shield.
The fine points are given to the darts by
means of the teeth of the devilfish (Ser-
rasalmus p:rava). and the cotton with
growing wild. 1t 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 max
ing the blowpipe. The skill used In bind
ing the plug of cotton to the dart must be
great or 1t will not fly true and far when
shot. The Indian never carries more than
five or six ready plugged. and when these
are lost he must draw others from the
CULVER and plug them. He always tries
fhnyv, tool haf
never succeeds in getting one to fly per-
fectly true. But If it is only a few inches
out of flight, like rifleman. in aiming he
makes allowance for this 'inaccuracy, and
it proves to be of little moment.
The distance to and accuracy with which
these darts are shot are simply wonderful
though the darts do not strike with any
great force. The death of the game Is oc-
casioned not by the impact, but by the
poison with which the dart Is tipped This
poison lodges in a tiny groove cut, Or
rather. scratched In the dart. for the pur-
pose of affording 1t lodgment, and also in
the notch cut near the tip.
The Fatal Prick.
So finely pointed is the dart that 1t will
penetrate the flesh on a mere touch, and II
any animal, such a monkey, irritated by
the prick endeavors to draw 1t from the
wound, 1t breaks at the notch, and leaves
the fatal jag behind.
There is a knack In blowing the darts
from the pipe / have succeeded in pro-
polling them about hundred yards and l
have never seen European send them
further. but the Indians puff them double
that distance. and at 100 to 80 yards will
hit a mark only few inches square. I
have seen native marksmen who could hit
parrots and toucans at the last d stance
once in two or three shots.
When dart has been shot if 1t misses it's
mark. the Indian takes great pains to find
Of dow tC 10 nr,c,
walking near the spot, for If trodden on it
Is likely to be as fatal as the bite of the
most venomous snake. l have formed the
opinion that the wooral poison used to tip
the darts owes its great virulence to the
venom of a snake which. l think, Is mixed
with 1t; but l need not discuss that matter
here.
Although 1t is so light, the blowpipe is a
clumsy weapon to handle. on account of it's
great length, and it is easily DANA ged The
slightest wrench or knock renders it use
less, and the Indian is most careful to avoid
accidents of this kind. He carries the tube
in vertical position never leans it against
tree places it on the ground without
being sure that Il will lie perfectly fiat. and
when 1t is not in use it is suspended. In an
upright position, to the bough of a tree or
to a post erected near the hut for the pur-
pose.
The darts must fit the tube closely enough
to resist the passage of the tiniest stream
of air. and yet so loosely to traverse it
easily. and the attaching Of the cotton plugs
is a troublesome business, which often oc-
cupies the Indian for hours at a sitting
When the dart is placed In the tube, it Is
pushed up with small stick distance of
about fourteen inches from the mouthp.ece
At this distance from the mouth the great
est force of the breath Is obtained but 1t is
a matter of much practice to manage the
breath properly. A steady. somewhat pro-
longed puff has more effect than a short
sharp one.