y* ARCH 
one end, into which the firing is pafled. At the head of 
this rod is a tin ferrule, about three or four inches in 
length, and into which the fhot are placed. It is ufual 
to have a firing on purpefe for this kind of (hooting, well 
wrapped in the middle with filk ; and the arrows flipped 
on, that the w hole may be removed from the bow at plea- 
fure. When an apparatus thus fitted up is difcharged, the 
arrow, communicating the force imprefied upon it by the 
firing to the fhot, projedls then* with a velocity in pro¬ 
portion to the ftrength of the bow made ufe of; but, as 
the weight of the charge and the arrow tend in a great 
degree to dirninilh the velocity cff the body emitted, we 
ntull conceive the effect much lefs powerful than that of 
a common arrow fhot from the fame bow. In difcharging 
balls the lame apparatus is made ufe of ; except that in- 
ftead of a tin ferrule, as in the former cafe, the arrow has 
a weak fpring on each fide of the head, placed fo as to 
prefs gently on the ball. 
But, among the various appendages attached to the ar¬ 
row, the mofl formidable fceins to be that of poifon. We 
are told that a fluid is prepared, and loaded with fuch 
powerful infection, that the animal fyflem flirinks under 
its eiiedts, almofl inftantaneoufly, if it be once introduced 
deeper than the (kin. '1 he vegetable and mineral poilons 
we are acquainted with in Europe, if adminiftered in final! 
portions, require rime to operate, and feldom- produce im¬ 
mediate'death. But we find that in other parts of the 
world, nature has infufed into the cells of fome vegetables 
fo deadly a venom, that not even the wound of the mofl vi¬ 
rulent ferpent can equal that of the poifoned arrow ; and 
the favages in America pretend, that by compounding the 
liquor into which they dip their arrows with a greater or 
lefs portion of the poifoning quality, they can caufe im¬ 
mediate death from a wound, or protract the efl'edt to a 
few days, a week, a fortnight, or longer. 
The natives of the Halt Indies, and of America, who 
praftife the poifoning of arrows, employ thofe inftruments 
in the hunting of wild beads. But the arrow they ufe is 
of a very different conftruftion from thole which are ufu- 
ally fhot from the bow. They are (imple (licks of hard 
wood, poiloned at the end, and are fo light as to be blown 
through a tube, in. the manner we often fee boys blowing 
peafe, or other fubflances, in this country. Bancroft, in 
his Hiftory of Guiana, fay's, “ The poiloned arrows are 
made of fplinters of the hard and (olid outer fubllance of 
the cokarito tree, and are ulually about twelve inches in 
length, not larger in bulk than a large common knitting- 
needle. The head ot the arrow is formed into a fliarp 
point, and envenomed in the poifon of woorara-, round the 
other end is wound a roll of cotton, adapted to the cavity 
of the reed through which the arrow is to be blown. The 
arrow, thus decked and armed for dellruCtion, is inferted 
in the hollow llraight reed, feveral feet in length, which 
being directed towards the objedl, the arrow is by a lingle 
blalf of air from the lungs, protruded through the cavity 
of the reed, and flies, w ith .great fwiftnefs and unerring 
certainty, the difhmce of thirty or forty yards, conveying 
fpeedy and inevitable death to the animal from whom it 
draws blood. Blowing the arrows is the principal exercife 
of the Indians from their childhood ; and by long ufe and 
habitude, they acquire a degree of dexterity and exaflnefs, 
which is inimitable in an European, and almofl: incredi¬ 
ble.” The fame tiling is praftifed in the Eaft almofl uni- 
verfally. The inhabitants of Makaflar, particularly, are 
accuftomed to poifon their arrows. The brother of Mr. 
Tavernier, while in India, had a remarkable proof of the 
activity of this poifon exhibited to him. An Englifliman 
redding in Makaflar had in a rage killed a fubjecl of the 
king of that ifland ; but his offence was pardoned. In 
conlequence of which, the other Englilh, French, and 
Dutch, inhabitants of the ifland, fearing left the refent- 
ment of the nativesunight be exercifed againft them, re¬ 
queued the king, that the perfon guilty of the charge 
fhould fuffer for what he had done; that no future re- 
Venge might be meditated by his fubje&s againft the Su¬ 
fi r y. 
ropeans, as was mofl times the cafe. The king confentedp- 
and, as he wifhed the criminal to fuffer as little pain as'- 
poflible, he faid, he himfelf would inflift the ftroke by a 
poifoned arrow. He delired the brother of Mr. Tavernier, 
and the other gentlemen, to attend the execution. When 
the man w r as brought, the king alked him what part he 
fliould wound; upon which he named the great toe of the 
right foot. The king then took an arrow, properly poi- 
foned, and adapted it to the tube, and blew it with incre¬ 
dible exaftnels to the point. Two European, furgeons on 
the fpot, immediately exerted their (kill; but, though 
they amputated the part far above the wound, with quick, 
difpatch, the man died in their hands! 
All the kings of the eaftern countries colleft this poifon 
to tinge their arrows, and keep them ready for ufe during, 
a long time. The king of Achen made a prefent of a- 
dozen of thefe arrows to Mr. Coke,, envoy at Bavaria,, 
with whom Mr. Tavernier was well acquainted. One day, 
when thefe gentlemen were together, they had the curio- 
fity to try whether thofe weapons retained their virulence 
or not, as they had been kept feveral years tinufed. They 
(hot fome of them at Iquirrels and other animals, all of 
which dropt the moment they were wounded, acircum- 
ftance which fufliciently proved, not only the violence, but 
alfo the permanence of this terrible poifon. There are 
other poiions ufed for fimilar purpofes in South America, 
called lamas, and ticunas ; for the deadly effects of which 
fee Poison. 
Befldes poifoned arrows,-others have been ufed, amid 
the ftratagems of war, for fetting fire to befieged places. 
In order to begin a conflagration, the fire was attached to' 
the body of arrows by feveral different ways. Sometimes- 
cotton, tow, or the like fubftance, previoufly mixed with 
pitch, rofin, oil, or naptha, was wrapped on the end of a4; 
arrow, in the form of a ball ; which ball, when in- tile, 
was fired, and the arrow directed towards wooden towers 
and other buildings of befieged places; where, flicking 
firmly, they communicated a flame to every part near it, 
and a general conflagration ufually took place. 
Marcellinus deferibes another kind of fiery arrow called 
the malleolus, ft was conftrudted, he fays, of cane, or reed j 
and, at the part where the head joined to the body, there 
was a piece of iron open-work communicating with the 
middle of the arrow, which was made hollow, and the 
cavity filled with combuftible materials. When thefe ar¬ 
rows were ufed, the fubftance within was enflamed, and, 
after being (hot, flicking to the object, burned with great 
rapidity whatever came in its way. Fiery arrows- were 
alio ufed by the Englilh. They are taken notice of by 
Matthew Paris; and were much efteemed in naval engage¬ 
ments, as well as in fieges. We are informed, an archer 
could Ihoot an ounce weight of combuftible matter at¬ 
tached to the point of an arrow twelve-fcore yards. . In 
fea fights, the ancient Englifli alfo (hot glafs phials filled 
with quick-lime, in order to blind the eyes and diforder 
the enemy. More modern warriors have found this ftra- 
tagem to anfw'er, even after cannon and artillery have beens 
ineffectual. A remarkable inftance of this kind happened 
when Charles XII. king of Sweden, with about fixty of 
his foldiers, refilled the whole Turkifti and Tartar army, 
near Bender. Charles, driven from his intrenchments, 
was under the necefllty of feeking refuge in a houfe near 
at hand ; which, however, he faw occupied by the enemy. 
He entered, with his attendants, fword in hand, and every 
Turk either leaped out at the window, or was killed on 
the fpot. After getting pofleflion of this fortrefs, the king 
withftood the enemy bravely, and laid a great number life- 
lefs by his mufquetry from the windows. The houfe was 
now attacked by cannon, but in vain ; the walls were fo 
firm that the (lone bullets flew to pieces by ftriking againft 
them ; and the repulfe would have been complete on the 
part of Charles, had not the Turks fhot fiery arrows into 
the roof, the windows, and the door, of their fortrefs, 
which fubdued even the iron king of Sweden 1 Voltaire's 
Hifl. Charles XII, 
