Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-01-21
EXPERT WITH pOWS
WEAPONS OF LISSOO NATIVES
ON cEINA-BURMESE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
Cowaraly Their Use of Poisoned
Arrows Makes Them For
midable as Foes.

On the wild frontier bet ween China
and British Burma is barbarous
tribe which has 10 civilized supervi-
sion. George Forrest, al English
traveller, thus describes the chief
weapon Ci these people:
If | Lad to suggest a lille for
book on the upper Salwin should
call it The Land of the Crossbow,'
which is the characteristic weapon OF
the country and the Lissoo tribe.
Every Lissoo with any nretensions
to chic possesses at least two of these
weapons-one for everyday use in
hunting and the other for var. The
little children play with miniature
crossbows. The men never leave their
huts for any purpose wha; YER with
out their crossbows: when iHcy go to
sleep the 'nukmg' is hung aver their
heads. and when they die il is hung
over Tho: r graves.
The largest crossbows have a span
OF 1ully hve feet, and require pull of
FULLY 35 pounds to string them. The
DOW is made Of a species O. wild mul.
perry OF great toughness and flexi.
oil1ty; the stock, some four leet long
In the war bows, is usually of wild
plum wood; the string is of plated
hemp and the trigger of bon".
The arrow, Of 16 to IS inches, is OF
split 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.third
or an inch, then for fully an inch the
arrow Is stripped to half It's thickness,
and on that portion poison is placed.
This poison is invariably a decoc-
Uon exr'3s9ed from the tuto"s of
species IF nconituro which crows on
those r;ngts nj au altitude OF 5000 to
10000 feet. The .aoiSon is mixed with
resin, or some vegetable gun, to the
consistency OF putty. and Is then
smeared on the notched point.
The feather Is supplied b. a strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into a i"angular
form and tied In notch at the end
or 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 off in the
BODY OF any one whom It strikes. and
as each carries enough poison to kill
a morse wound Is invariably fatal.
Free and Immediate incision is the
usual remedy when wounded on
limb or fleshy part OF the body; but
at Cheng-ka the uncle OF the Lao-wo
chlef showed us preparation which
resembled opium dross, and which he
said was an effective antidote.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to rs TO be arrant towards.
but the crossbow and poisoned arrow
Is certainly most diabolical weapon.
An arrow from war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick at 70 or
SO yards. Some Of the Tsekou natives
were so expert that they cou'I hit a
mark four inches in diameter repeat
edly at go to 80 Yards.
"As no one goes anywhere without
MS cr"ssbow and bearskin qui"er full
OF poisoned arrows. and as cry VII.
lage is at feud with every o.her vii.
lage, mutual suspicion is ineYi' able.
I'm open fight the Lissoo ar. usual.
ly careful TO keep at a rnsDe. 'rrl dis
tance from each other and behind OK.
hide shields which protect the whole
body. I'ut II battle Is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush in the
jungle are ccmmon."