Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-03
EXPERT WITEI BOWS
WEAPONS OF LISSCO NATIVES
ON CHINA-BURMEsE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
Cowardiy 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, all English
traveller, thus describes the chief
weapon OF these people:
IF | had to suggest u title for a
book on the upper Salwin I should
call it The Land OF the Crossbow,'
which Is the characteristic weapon of
the country and the Lissoo 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
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 it is hung
owe" heir graves.
The largest crossboYs have a span
OF fully five feet. and require a pull OF
1ully 80 pounds to string them. The
DOW is made Of species OF wild mul.
berry of great toughness and hexi.
bil1ty; the stock, some four 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 an inch the
arrow is stripped to half It's thickness,
and on that portion poison is placed.
THIS poison is invariably a decoc.
tion expressed from the tulers of
snec'eS 0f accnitum. which grows on
those ranges NJ an altitude cf 5000 to
10000 feet. The Doson is mixed with
resin. or som" vegetable gum. to the
consistency % putty. and Is then
smeared on the r0tched pC'nt.
The feather is supplied by a strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into triangular
form and tied in a notch ri 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 in the
body of any one whom 1t strikes. and
as each carries enough poison to kill
a horse wound is invariably fatal.
Free and immediate incisio; is the
usual remedy when wounded on
limb or fcshy part of the body: but
at ChenE ka the uncle of the Lao-wo
chici showed lis preparation which
rescmbled opium dross, and which he
said was an effective antidO'c.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to -" to he arrant towards.
but the crossbow and poisoned arrow
Is certainly a most diabolica' weapon.
An arrow from war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick at 20 or
~ yards. Some Of the TsckCu natives
were so expert that they couId hit
mark four inches in diameter repeat.
edly at so to 80 Yards.
AS no one goes anywhere without
MS 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 respc tfuI dis
tance from each other and b"hind OK.
hide shields which protect the whole
body. But II battle is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush in the
jungle are common"