Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-03-15
EXPERT WITH BOWS
WEAPONS OF LISsoo NATIVES
ON cHlNA-BURMEsE BORDER.
Are Splendid Marksmen and Although
cowardIy Their Use of Poisoned
Arrows Makes Them For
midabIe as Foes.

Ou lnS Wllu lTpuller between Cnlna
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 l should
call ii 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
huts 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
over their graves.
The largest crossbows have a span
OF fully five feet, and require pull OF
fully 30 pounds to string them. The
bow is made of species of wild null
berry OF great toughness and hexi.
bility; 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 1S inches, is OF
split bamboo, about four, times the
thickness Of an ordinary; knitting nee
die, hardened and pointed Il the actual
point is bare for quarter t@5one-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-
t!on expressed from the tuLers of
snec!es Of aCOnitum. which grows on
tfcse ranges at an altitude Of 5000 to
10000 feet. The Doison is mixed with
resin. or some vegetable gum, 10 the
consistency % rutty, and is then
smeared on the notched point.
THE feather is supplied by a strip
OF bamboo leaf folded into q triangular
form and tied in a notch al 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 or in the
bCdy 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 feshy part Of the bGdy; but
at Chengka the uncle Of tho Lao.wo
CHIEF showed us preparation which
resembled opium dross, and which he
said was an effective antidote.
with few exceptions the Lissoo
seemed to. .'s to be arrant towards,
but the .croSshow and, poisoned arrow
Is certainly most diabolica! weapon.
An arrow from war bow will pierce
deal board an inch thick at 20 or
80 yards. Some of the Tsekou natives
were so expert that they could hit
mark four inches in diameter repeat
edly at so to 80 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 arc usual.
ly careful to keep at resnc 'fuI dis.
tance from each other and behind OK
hide shields which protect the whole
body. But If battle Is rare. murder
aud sudden. death by ambush in the
jungle are commonY.