THE. LONG-JOINTED BAMBOO, CALLED “ BULOH 
BER-SUMPITAN,’ USED BY THE SEMANGS 
FOR MAKING BLOW-PIPES. 
By L. WRAY, JUN. 
The Semangs of Upper Perak and Ulu Selama, and the Sakais of 
the Plus Valley, make the outer cases of their blow-pipes from single 
joints of a very long-jointed bamboo. ‘The pipes are about seven feet 
in length, and the joints from which they are made are from four to six 
inches longer than this. 
To make a blow-pipe, two lengths of the small-sized canes, aggre- 
gating the length of the intended blow-pipe, and of an outside diameter 
of about five-eighths of an inch, are taken. They are straightened over 
the fire and dried in the smoke of the cooking-place. They are then 
carefully trimmed and joined together by means of a short length of 
bamboo of a size which will just slip tightly over them. On to one end 
of the long tube so formed is fixed a short length of stouter and larger 
bamboo, about four inches in length, and this end is then terminated by 
either a wooden or a gutta-percha mouth-piece. A larger piece of 
bamboo is taken to form the case. This is of such a diameter that the 
junction of the small tube will just pass inside it. The top, that is the 
end next the mouth-piece, is cut some distance from a joint, while the 
other end is cut near a joint. The top is always that end of the cane 
which was downward when growing. ‘The inner tube is now passed into 
the case, and it is trimmed so that when in position the bottom end of it 
fits tightly into the end of the case. When in position, the inner tube 
touches the outer only at three points—that is, near the mouth-piece, in 
the centre where the junction is, and at the bottom end. Both ends of 
the case are generally bound with rattan to prevent splitting, as also the 
short length at the mouth-piece. The inside of the tube is polished 
by pulling a piece of a very hard rough root through it. The complete 
blow-pipe, therefore, consists of the following parts. Two lengths of 
small bamboo, one short junction-piece, one short length next to the 
mouth-piece, the mouth-piece, and one long length of bamboo to form the 
outside case. This latter is about 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 8 inches in 
length, and from seven-eighths to one inch outside diameter. The bore 
of the inner tube is from three-eighths to half an inch. The mouth-piece 
is generally a nearly globular mass of gutta-percha, about 14 inches in 
diameter, moulded on to the end of the inner tube. One of the inferior 
sorts of gutta is used as a cement to fasten the parts of the inner tube 
together, but the outer case is not fastened, and it may be removed at any 
time to allow of the inner tube being repaired should it get damaged. 
