ARMS. 



251 



trajectory traversée! by the missile is a curve, the line of aim does not lie along the axis of 

 the arrow. With prize shooting, held at Metu Débi, the village chief of Tobâdi, who is a very 

 good shot, aiming at his leisure, gradually lowered the shaft-hand still further, till on a level 

 with his nipples. By his training the man could evidently judge how the position of the arrow 

 on the bow, together with the strength brought to bear on it, would carry the missile into 

 the aim. For further particulars relating the tech- 

 nique of this shooting, I refer to MYLIUS [1905]. 



The p o w e r of the shot as a rule exceeds 

 the expectation of Europeans. PARKINSON [1900, 30] 

 is much mistaken when he expresses the opinion 

 that the bark girdles of Berlin Harbour district 

 [1. c, PL XIX, fig. 16] protect the belly in an effi- 

 cient manner and cannot be pierced by spear or 

 arrow. Erdweg [1902, 321], more cautious, merely 

 states, that the penetrating power of the arrow is 

 somewhat diminished by thèse girdles, and for the rest 

 proves [1. c, 327], that an arrow passes to the breadth 

 of several fingers through a shield. An instance 

 is known (ANNUAL REPORT [1896 — 97, p. XV]) of 

 an arrow having passed through a native house and 

 then through the body of a man. The Tugeri are pro- 

 bably unsurpassed as regards the power of the shot. 

 The people of Humboldt Bay hâve also a good 

 réputation, and the shield N°. 1262 (PI. XXVI, fig. 2) 

 of the collection, has on the edge a broken arrow 

 head, piercing a layer of wood, 5 cm. thick. The 

 weight of the arrows is from 19 to 140 grams. 



The range of the Tugeri arrows is given 

 by Pratt [1906, 46] as at least 300 yards, MACGREGOR [1897, 60] states in gênerai 150 — 250 

 yards, which is also the range on the north coast. 



The initial velocity may be judged by the indication of SELIGMANN [1906, 228], 

 that the first 40 yards are traversed in 1 or i ] / 5 seconds. 



The "probability of hit tin g" with the people of Tobâdi, at a range of 40 yards, 

 is less than with rifle shooting, but as good as with revolver shooting by an average shot. 

 To hâve a proof of their practice, a target of 2 feet square was suspended at a distance of 

 t 40 yards; the people, however, did not like to shoot one after the other, but, standing in 

 a semi-circle before the target, at a given sign they fired altogether, this method corres- 

 ponding more with the nature of their sport. The first time, of ± 20 bowyers none hit the 

 target, but after that generally one hit was scored. I think this resuit is a trifle better than 

 that of Seligmann with the Toro. 



With human beings the belly is aimed at; thus was the information Haddon [1894, 48] 

 collected in South N. G. In H. B. also, in reply to the inquiry after this matter, the belly was 

 repeatedly indicated, and it was further elucidated by gestures, how a person, so wounded, 



Fig. 157. Ready for action: Humboldt Bay. 



