Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-05
EXPERT WITH BOWS
WEAPONS OF LISsoo NATIVES
ON cHINA.BURMEsE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
Cowardly Their Use Of Poisoned
Arrows Makes Them For
midable as Foes.

On the wild frontier between China
and British Burma is barbarous
tribe which has no civilized supervi-
sion. George Forrest, an English
traveller, thus describes the chief
weapon of these people:
IF l had to suggest a title for
book on the upper Salwin 1 should
call it The Land of the Crossbow,'
which is the characteristic weapon Of
the country and the Lissco tribe.
Every Lissoo with any pretensions
to chic possesses at least two of these
weapons-one for everyday use in
hunting and the other for war. The
little children play with miniature
crQssbows. The men never leave their
huts for any purpose whatever with
out their crossbows; when they go to
sleep the 'nukung' is hung over their
heads. and when they die it is hung
over their graves.
The largest crossbows have a span
or fully five feet, and require a pull OF
tully 80 pounds to string them. The
bow is made of a species OF wild mul.
perry of great toughness and flexi.
bllity; the stock, some fou" feet long
In the war bows, is usually of wild
plum wood; the string is of plated
hemp and the trigger of bone.
The arrow, of 16 to 18 inches, is OF
split bamboo, about four times the
thickness of an ordinary knitting nee
ole, hardened and pointed; the actual
point is bare for quarter to one-third
OF an inch, then for fully al inch the
arrow Is stripped to half its thickness,
and on that portion poison is placed
ThiS poison is invariably decoc.
ticn eXpresacd from the tuHers of
species Of arCnitum. which grows on
those rang s mt IN altitude Of 5000 to
lp.o0n feet. Thp poison is "lxed with
resin, or SON" vegetable gun. to the
consistency ot rutty, and is then
smeared on the notched pu:nt.
THE feather is supplied by a strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into triangular
form and tied in a notch at the end
OF the arrow. with the point of the
angle outward.
THE reduction in thickness of the
arrow where the poison Is placed
causes the point to break OF I'm the
body Of any one whom 1t strikes. and
as each carries enough poison to kill
morse wound is invariably fatal.
Free and immediate incisicn is the
usual remedy when wounded on
limb or fieshy part of the body; but
at ChengFa the uncle Of the Lao-wo
chief showed us a preparation which
resHmbIed opium dross, and which he'
said was an effective antidote.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to ~ to be arrant towards.
but the crossbow ard poisoned arrow
Is certainly most diabolica' weapon.
An arrow from war bow will pierce
a deal board an inch thick at 20 or
90 yards. Some OF the Tsekou natives
were so expert that they could hit a
mark four inches In diameter repeat.
edly at 60 to so Yards.
"As no one goes anywhere without
his crossbow and bearskin culver full
OF poisoned arrows. and as every vii
lage Is at feud with every other vii
lage. mutual suspicion is inevitable.
I'm open fight the Lissoo are usual.
ly careful to keep at a respectful dis
tance from each other and bnhind OK.
hide shields which protect the whole
body. But II battle Is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush in the
Jungle are common"