1* [Semati 



close combat with terrible effect, and also threw it with unerring cer- 

 tainty at distant objects, making it revolve in the air in its flight. With 

 the Indian, the tomahawk is the emblem of war itself. To bury it, is 

 peace ; to raise, is to declare the most deadly warfare. 



Wa-a-no, or Bow. 



4 feet. 



Ga-no, or Arrow. 



3 feet. 



In archery, the Indian has scarcely been excelled. With a quick 

 eye and a powerful muscle, he could send the arrow as unerringly as 

 the archers of Robin Hood. It may be claimed as an Indian invention, 

 although the bow and the arrow have been used by all nations in their 

 primitive state. The Indian bow is usually from three and a half to 

 four and a half feet in length, and so difficult to spring, that an inex- 

 perienced person could scarcely bend it sufficiently to set the string. 

 To draw the string back an arrow's length when set, could only be done 

 by practice, superadded to the most powerful muscular strength. An 

 arrow thus sent would strike its object with fearful velocity. The 

 arrow is feathered at the small end with a twist, to make it revolve in 

 its flight. It gives to its motion uniformity and quickness, and, doubt- 

 less, suggested the idea of the twist in the rifle barrel, by which the 

 ball is made to revolve in the same manner. The English and Scottish 

 archer feathered his arrow, but without this peculiarity. Three feathers 

 were also used, which were set parallel with each other, and with the 

 arrow, but upon one side. Originally the Indian arrow was pointed 

 with a flint or chert head, which would make it penetrate deeply any 

 object at which it was directed. With such an arrow it was an easy 



