Village books

A joint of bamboo, about as thick as your finger, is
fitted on over the poisoned spike to prevent accidents and defend it from
the rain, and is taken off when the arrow is about to be used. Lastly, two
feathers are fastened the other end of the reed to steady it in its flight.
Besides his bow and arrows, the Indian carries a little box made of bamboo
which holds a dozen or fifteen poisoned spikes six inches long. They are
poisoned in the following manner: a small piece of wood is dipped in the
poison, and with this they give the spike a first coat. It is then exposed
to the sun or fire. After it is dry it receives another coat, and then
dried again; after this a third coat, and sometimes a fourth.
They take great care to put the poison on thicker at the middle than at the
sides, by which means the spike retains the shape of a two-edged sword. It
is rather a tedious operation to make one of these arrows complete, and as
the Indian is not famed for industry, except when pressed by hunger, he has
hit upon a plan of preserving his arrows which deserves notice.


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