374 SUMPITAN OR BLOW PIPE. 



being regarded by them as an excellent medicine 

 for horses; they place it (without being pomided, 

 or otherwise prepared) in the water, the horses 

 drink, and consider it an excellent tonic for 

 them. 



I saw at Batavia a species of Gibbon, which is 

 indigenous to Java, and had just been purchased, 

 it was the Pithecus leuciscus, Desm., or Simla 

 leucisca, Schreb. The natives call it the white 

 ape, or Woa, woa, puteh ; the fur being of a 

 light greyish colour ; face and ears, black ; no 

 tail ; long arms ; and a prehensile power of the 

 feet. 



The Sumpitan, or blow-pipe, is an instru- 

 ment upwards of six feet long, with which the 

 Javanese propel small clay pellets from the 

 mouth with such force as to kill birds and other 

 animals ; they are likewise used by the Javanese 

 in warfare, to shoot the small poisoned arrows, 

 (damJiak,) which are about a foot in length, 

 armed at one extremity with pith, and are pro- 

 pelled with surprising accuracy of aim. 



