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top and bottom. The bamboo of the outer tube was, in old 

 specimens, of a warm red brown hue, this colour being acquired 

 by frequent polishing with damar gum or oil, and continual smoke 

 drying when not in use, it being customai'y to keep the blow-pipe 

 on the under side of the thatch of the hut, where it is constantly in 

 the smoke of the open fire. When thus out of use both ends of the 

 tube are kept carefully plugged with down to prevent the entry of 

 mud-wasps, ants, or other insects. The dart-quivers were of true 

 Negrito type, being made from a single internode of bamboo wuth 

 one septum left untouched to form the bottom of the receptacle. 

 When in use the top, which is coverless, is often plugged with 

 leaves. New internodes cut for the manufacture of dart-quivex's are 

 dried by filling them with hot wood ashes fi^om the fire, but the 

 pattern design is generally roughly scratched in first. Bamboo 

 receptacles rather larger than the ordinary quivers are used for 

 holding large spatula? of i})oh poison, but smaller spatulae are 

 often found in the true quivers. These larger receptacles are also 

 sometimes used for holding darts. A few experiments were made 

 to test the range of the blow-pipe, and it Avas found that a man 

 squatting on his haunches and holding his blow-pipe horizontally 

 could easily shoot a dart a distance of 65 feet. A piece of white 

 paper set on a stick as a mark at this distance was not hit in three 

 or four attempts, but the Semang complained that they could not do 

 themselves justice owing to the fact that previous to shooting they 

 had broken off all the poisoned points of their darts as the trial had 

 to take place along the bridle path, the only convenient place which 

 could be found. This precaution was wise, as numbers of Malays 

 quickly turned out to see what was going on. The practice took 

 place on an almost windless day and shooting was tried in two 

 directions. The Semangs' remarks about darts with broken points 

 not flying true was probably quite justifiable, as the dart stem is 

 considerably thicker just above the point than at any other place. 

 Above this thickening in the direction of the head a small gi'oove 

 is cut in order that when an animal is stuck the dart may break 

 off and leave the poisoned head in the wound. It was interesting 

 to note the way in which the blow-pipe was treated in preparing 

 for a shot. The performer first seized it with his right hand 

 at the mouth-piece and with his left a little way up the stem, 

 grasping it between the first and second fingers of the latter : using 

 the right hand he then drew it several times smartly backwards 

 and forwards between these two fingers meanwhile keeping in the 

 dart which had been already inserted, by means of the right hand. 

 Then squatting suddenly he grasped the weapon close to the end 

 between the interlaced fingers of both hands and taking aim expelled 

 the dart. The method employed of holding the blowpipe seems to 

 be common to all the aborigines of the Peninsula or at any rate to 

 all those using the bamboo blowpipe. The stem of the instrument 

 rests partly on the upturned palms of the hands. Among the 



