Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-02-03
EXPERT WITH BOWS
WEAPONS OF Lissoo NATIVES
ON chINA-euRMEsE eoRpER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
cowardly Their Use OF Poisoned
Arrows Makes Thorn For
midabie a. Foes,


On the wild frontier between China
and British Burma 10 q barbarous
tribe which has no civilized supervi-
sion. George Forrest. an English
traveller. thus describes the chief
weapon OF these people:
IT 1 had To suggest q title for q
DOCK on the upper Salwin should
call II The Land Of the Crossbow. .
whirh IL the characteristic weapon Of
the country and the LissoO tribe.
Every I.issoo with any pretensions
to chic possesses ut least two Of these
weapons-one for everyday use n.
hunting and the other for war. The
little children play with miniature
crossbows. The men never leave their
nuts for any purpose whatever with
out their crossbows: when they go to
sleep the 'nukung' Is hung over their
heads. and when they die II In hung
over their graves
me largest crossbows have a span
or fully five feet, and require a pull of
ruby 80 pounds to string them. The
DOW Is made Of . species OF wild mul
Derry OF great toughness and fiexi-
oilty; the stock, some four feet long
In the war bows, h usually of wild
plum wood: the string Is OF rlaited
hemp and the trigger OF bone.
The arrow, OF Is to Is inches. In OF
spht bamboo, about four times the
thickness OF an ordinary knitting nee
die. hardened and pointed: the actual
point is bare for a quarter to one.thir1
or an inch, then for fully an inch the
arrow is stripped to half its thickness.
ana on that portion poison ts placed.
This poison is invariably a decoc-
tion expressed from the tubers of n
species OF aconitum, which grows on
those ranges at an altitude OF 5000 to
$4,000 feet. Tho poison is mixed with
resin. or some vegetable gum. to tho
consistency OF putty. and is then
smeared on the notched point.
The feather is supplied by strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into n triangular
form and tied in IA notch at the end
or the arrow. with the point of tho
angle outward.
The reduction in thickness OF the
arrow where the poison is placed
causes the point to break off in the
body OF any one whom It strikes. and
as each carries enough poison to kill
horse wound Is invariably fatal
free and immediate incision Is the
usual remedy when wounded on
limb or fleshy part OF the body; but
Mt Chengka the uncle OF the Laow
chiof showed us n preparation which
resembled opium dross, and which no
sale WAS an effective antidote.
Will few exceptions the Lissoo
med to us to be arrant towards
"H' tho crossbow and poisoned arrow
- certainly n most diabolical weapon.
An arrow from war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick at 20 or
10 yards. Some Of the Tsekou natives
were so expert that they could hit a
mark four inches In diameter repeat.
edly at 60 to 80 yards.
"As no one goes anywhere without
his crossbow and bearskin culver full
or poisoned arrows, and as every VII
lage Is at feud with every other vii.
Iage. mutual suspicion is inevitable.
In open fight the Lissoo are usual.
ly careful to keep at respectful dis
lance from each other and behind OK
hide shields which protect the whole
body. But If battle is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush In the
jungle are common"