Phillips. — On the Use of Projectile Weapons by the Maoris. 67 



Hardly any reference is made to the bow by Messrs. Tyerman and Bennett ; 

 yet a striking fact is alluded to by them. In observing a conversation 

 between the natives of Tahiti, whom they took with them to the Sandwich 

 Islands, and these latter people, they remark " that the dialects of both 

 nations are so nearly akin that the natives can converse very well with one 

 another."* In the Island of Silo (qy. Sooloo), Malaysia, Messrs. Tyerman 

 and Bennett record having noticed the following amusement : — f ' ' The 

 girls, who had hitherto been engaged in dancing, now retired, and another 

 company made their appearance dressed like the former (peculiar dresses). 

 When they were all seated, an old woman entered and laid down at the feet 

 of each, an instrument resemblmg a bow, with an arrow on the string, 

 about two feet long, lacquered red and decorated with gold. The dancers 

 soon afterwards rose, and went through all the evolutions of the others, 

 holding these bows in their hands, which added exceedingly to the beauty 

 and picturesque effect of their groups and attitudes." 



The Eev. J. Turner, speaking of arrows, observes in his illustrations of 

 Scripture, " ^ /TOWS . . . the poison whereof," etc. — Jobvi. 4: — "Arrows, 

 so often referred to in Scripture, are still in use in the South Seas, princi- 

 pally where firearms have not been introduced. They are made of a piece 

 of reed, three or four feet long, pointed or barbed, with a bit of hard wood. 

 In the New Hebrides we find them pointed with a piece of human bone, and 

 sometimes dipped in poisonous mixtures from the bush."| As a general 

 rule the people of Western Polynesia use poisoned arrows, § 



In Asia the bow and arrow is used by the Samoiedes, a people resembling 

 the American Indians, and inhabiting the great Siberian promontory, ending 

 in Cape North ; the Khalkas, the most important tribe of the Eastern Mon- 

 gols ; the Bmiats and Yakuts (Siberians) ; the Siamese, who use powerful 

 cross-bows and poisoned arrows for big game ; the Andaman islanders ; the 

 Dyaks (Malay), who also use poisoned arrows. 



I may here be allowed to refer to the use of the sumpitan. The 

 sumpitan is a curious arrow-adaptation. The arrow is blown from a pipe 

 seven to eight feet long. The Kayans (Dyaks) carry the arrows in a bamboo 

 ease, hung at the side, and at the bottom of this quiver is the poison of 

 the upas. The arrow is a thin piece of wood, sharp-pointed, and inserted 

 in a socket, made of the pith of a tree, which fits the tube of the blow-pipe. 

 Beyond a distance of twenty yards they do not shoot with certainty, from 

 the lightness of the arrow. On a calm day the utmost range may be a 

 hundred yards. || 



* Voyages and Travels, Vol. I., p. 378. t Vol. n., p. 214. 



I Nineteen Years in Polynesia, p. 311. § Murray : Missions in Western Polynesia. 



11 Borneo and Celebes. — Brooke. 



