Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-18
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.


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 q title for
book on the upper Salwin should
call 1t The Land of the Crossbow,'
which is the characteristic weapon of
the country and the Lissco tribe.
Every Lissoo with any pretensions
10 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
ont 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
fully S5 pounds to string them. The
DOW is made of a species OF wild mul.
perry of great toughness and fiexi.
ollity; 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 a quarter TO one-third
OF an inch, then for fully an inch the
arrow Is stripped to half Its thickness,
and on that portion poison is placed
This poison is invariably a decoc-
tion "Xnr"sSed from the tuhers of
s"e"es g.; a"onitum. which grows on
those ranges al an altitude Of 5000 to
oopO feet. The n0ison is mixed with
resin, or some "Scetable gun. to the
consistency OF putty, and is then
smoared on the notched point.
THE feather is supplied by strip
oi bamboo leaf folded into a triangular
form and tied in notch at the end
OF the arrow. with the point of the
anrle 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 incision is the
usual remedy when wounded on
limb or f1eshy part of the bcdy; but
at Chengka the uncle of tie Lao.wo
ch1et showed us preparation which
resembled opium dross. and which he
said was an effective antido,c.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to ''S TO be arrant coIwards,
but the crnssbow and poisoned arrow
Is certainly most diabolica' weapon.
An arrow from n war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick ut 20 or
SO 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 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" 'r..