Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-08-13
EXPERT WITH BOWS
WEAPONS OF lIssoo NATIVES
ON cHINA.euRmEsE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and AIthouoh
Cowardly Their Use Of Poisoned
Arrows Makes Them For.
midable as Foes.

On the wild frontier between Chin,
and British Burma Is a barbaron,
tribe which has no civilized supervI.
sion. George Forrest. an English
traveller. thus describes the chic,
weapon of these people:
III | had to suggest a title for .
book on the upper Salwin | shou,d
call II The Land OF the Crossbov,
which is the characteristic weapon a,
the country and the Llssoo tribe.
Every Lissoo with any pretensionS
to chic possesses at least two OF these
wcapons-one for everyday use IN
hunting and the other for war. The
little children play with miniature
croSSbows. The men never leave theIr
huts for any purpose whatever with.
II their c~rossbows: when they 20 10
sleep the %'nukung' is hung over their
heads, and when they die II Is hung
Owe their graves.
The largest crossboHs have a snan
OF fully five feet. and require a pull Of
fully 30 pounds to string them. The
bow Is made Of a species al wild mul.
berry of great tOughncss and texi.
bility: the stock. some four feet lone
In the var bows. Is usually OF wild
plum wood: the string is OF plated
hemp and the trigger OF bone.
The arrow. of IL To IS inches. Is n,
split bamboo. about four times the
thickness Of an ordinary knitting me-.
die, hardened and pointed: the actual
point Is bare for "A quarter To orc-thIri
OF an inch. then for fully an Incl, the
arrow is stripped TO half it's thickness
and on that portion poison Is placed
This poison Is invariably a dacoc.
ton expressed from the tubers OF A
species ~ aCOnitum. which grows on
those ranges AT an altitude OF 5000 To
10000 feet. The poison Is mixed with
resin. or some vegetable gum. TO the
consistency "f putty. and IL then
sincar"d on III" notchcd point.
TIL" frath"'' Is supplied by 4 strip
of bamboo leaf folded into a triangular
form n tied In a notch AT the end
OF III" arrow. with the point Of The
angie outward.
The reduction In thickness ul the
arrow where the poison Is placed
causes th" point 10 break on In the
body " any on" whom IL strikes. and
~ each carries enough poison 10 kIll
Il horse "A wound IL Invariably fatal.
Free II immediate inCision Is the
usual remedy when wounded ON a
limb or ticshy part OF the body: but
at Cheng ka tn" nnclc of the L.ao-wo
chief showed MS a preparation which
TcS"mblcd opium drOSS. and which he
said was an effective antidntc.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
s"cmcd Ia us to be arrani cowards.
bat the crOssbow and poisoned arOE
Is certainly Il most diabolical weapon.
An arrow from a war bow Will pierce
a deal board an Inch thick at 20 or
?" yards. Some OF the Tsckou natives
were 4" expert hat they could hit "A
mark fonr Inches In diameter repeat
edly NJ GO to SO yards.
AS no II goes anywhere without
his CrosSbOw and bcarskin CULVER ful
of poisoned arrows. and az every VII
lag" X at fcud with every other vii
lhg". mutual suspicion is inevitable.
In open fight the Lissou are usual
ly careful To keep at a respectful dis
lance from each other and behind OK
hide shields which protect the whole
body. But II battle Is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush In the
jungle are common"