314 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
try) the King’s giving it to Captain Wilson at his depar¬ 
ture, as already mentioned, was an additional proof of the 
liberality of thefe people, who were ready to diveft them- 
felves even of what they molt valued, to give to their 
friends. 
THEIR WEAPONS- OF WAR. 
The principal weapons ufed in their battles were fpears; 
they were commonly about twelve feet long, formed of the 
bamboo, with the pointed end made of fome wood exceed¬ 
ingly hard they were barbed tranfverfely, fo that, having 
once entered the body, it was difficult to draw them out 
without lacerating the flefli, and widening to a great degree 
the wound. 
Another war-weapon was the dart and fling.—The fling 
. was a piece of wood about two feet in length, with a notch 
made in it, wherein the head of the dart was fixed.—-The 
dart was of bamboo, pointed with an extreme hard and 
heavy kind of wood, like the fpear, which they comprefled 
with their hand, till the elafticity of the bamboo had formed 
fuch a curve as experience told them would reach the ob- 
je£t aimed at; then letting it flip from the notch, it flew 
forth, and fell by its gravitation with the point downward, 
fo as to effedt the purpofe of being deftru&ive if- it fell upon 
t the 
