Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-12
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.


and British Burma is barbarous
tribe which has no civilized supervi-
sion. George Forrest, an English
traveller, thus describes the chicI
weapon of these people:
IF had to suggest Il title for
book on TIE upper Salwin should
cali ii 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
crossbows. The men never leave their
nuts for any purpose whi, ever with
out their crossbows; when they go TO
sleep the 'nuhuug' is hunS over their
heacS. and when they die it is hung
owe ,"!r graves.
lie inr%est crOssboAs lave a span
OF fully five feet, and requ!~p a pull of
luiiy 50 pounds to string ITEM. The
bow is made Cf species G. wild mul.
berry OF great toughness and nexi-
pl!lty; thc stock, some fou" feet long
In the war bows, is usually of wild
PUN wood: the string is Of plated
heHp ard the trigger of boz.
The arrow. Of 1G 10 IS i.-hcs, is of
split bamboo. about four Tines the
thickness Of an ordinary k,!!tting nee
die. hardened and pointed: lhe actual
point is bare for a quarter h. one.third
OF an inch, then for fully "a inch the
arrow Is stripped 10 half its thickness,
ana "n t"at portion poison IS based.
tNis poison Is invariably a decoc.
tor oNn'es"Ch from the tu crs Of a
s~e"'eS o. H""nitun. which grows on
|. OS2 ran%, - N altitude e" 5000 to
10000 feet. Th' "uison is liked with
res'n. or SOM" "c~Ctable Ci.l. TO the
co'sl'.cNc" - "ut'y. and is then
smcarel on tNn aotched pr'1t.
"''he 'fsathe'' is supplied by strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into rrangular
form and tied in a notch NJ the end
or tho arrow. with the po'nt of the
nn@le 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 il strikes. and
as each carries enough poicOn to kill
horse wound is invariably fatal.
Free and immediate incisiCr is the
usual remedy when wounded on a
limb or fleshy part of the hcdy: but
at Chengka the uncle of TIE Lao-wo
chief showed us a preparation which
resembled opium dross. and which he
said was an effective antido'e.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to -" to be arrant towards.
but the crossbow and poisoned arrow
Is certainly most diabolica' weapon.
An arrow from a war bow viii pierce
deal board an inch thick 1t 20 or
80 yards. Some OF the TsekOu natives
were so expert that they could hit n
mark four inche; in diameter repeat-
edly at so to so Yards.
AS no one goes anywhere without
his crossbow and bearskin culver full
Of poisoned arrows. and as c"ery vii
lage is at feud with every cher vii
lage. mutual suspicion is inevitable.
I'm open fight the Lissoo arc usual
ly careful TO keep at resDe ,tfuI dis.
tance from each other and behind OK.
hide shields which protect tho whole
body. But If battle is rare. murder
and sudden death by ambush in the
jungle are common"