Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-21
EXPERT WITH BOWS
WEAPONS OF LISSoO NATIVES
ON cHlNA-BURMESE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
Cowardly Their Use of Poisoned
Arrows Makes Them For
midable as Foes.

ou the VIII 1rontler 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 | had to suggest title for
book on the upper Salwin should
c:il ii The Land OF the Crossbow.'
which is the characteristics 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 60 to
sleep The nukung' is hung over their
heads. and when they die it is hung
oNe heir graves.
The largest crossbows rave n span
o! iuiiy five feet, and require a pull of
luiiy ia pounds to string them. The
DOW Is made of species o. wild mul.
berry Of great toughness and nexi.
Diilty; tie stock, some four feet long
In the war bows, is usually of wild
p'nm wood: The string. is Of plated
hemp and the trigger of bone.
ne arrow, Of IS 10 IS inches, is OF
Shhl bamboo, about four times the
'hl"HhesS of an ordinary knitting nee
diC. hardened and pointed: the actual
p'lHt is bare for Il quarter I" one.third
oi an inch, then for fully at inch the
iS . VI,
III" on that portion poison is placed.
rs poison is invariably a dccuc.
tor 'Nn'"s.rd from the tu:ers of a
S'"''"S "f H'' uitum. which crows On
7. rs:' rar@ ~ a. altitude Cf 5000 TO
~ "Ho !c"i. The ~oison is naked with
r's'h' or som" vegetable gun. to the
'"'Si ."hc' o. 'u:'y, and is then
sh'aicd on ttc lOtched pG-nt.
ne feather is supplied 10y strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into a triangular
form and tied in a notch mt the end
of the arrow with the point of the
an"le outward.
ne reductiCn i'll thickness OF the
arrow where the poison is placed
causes the point to break Of in tho
b"'T or any one whom It s. 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
iimh or f"Shy part of the bady; but
at ChcnSka the uncle of Tie Iao.wo
chief showed us a preparation which
res"mbIed opium dross. and which he
SAID was an effective antido:o.
"Wtth fn
seemed to - to he arrant towards
bu' the croSsbow and poisoned arrow
is certainly a most diabolica' weapon.
AT AFRO" from n war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick at 20 or
oo yards. Some Of the Tsekou natives
were so expert that they could hit
mark four inches in diameter rcpeat.
edlv at 60 to so Yards.
AS no one gees anywhere without
MS crossbow and bearskin culver full
OF poisoned arrows. and as every viii
LACE Is at fcud with every other vii
lage mutual suspicion is inevitable.
In open fight the Lissoo are usual.
~ careful to keep at respe tfuI dis
tance 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"