try) ihe givpg it to Gaptva at his departure
, >§%-already mdltfoned, was an additional proof jaf fche
liberality of tfipfe people, who were ready to diveft them-
felves oven of what they moft valued, to give to -their
frienefe.
T H E I R W E A P O N S O F :W A L
The principal weapons tried in their battles were ipeaf s;
they: were commonly about twelve feet long, foarm^d of the
bamboo, with the pointed end made of fonae wood exceedingly
hard; they were barbed tranfoerfely, fo t-bhb.,having
once entered the-body, it was difficult to draw them, out
without lacerating the ftelb, 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 comprefied
with their hand, till the elafticity of the bamboo had formed
fuch a curve as experience told them would reach the object
aimed at; then letting it flip from the notch, it flew
forth, and fell by its gravitation with the point downward,
fo as to effect the purpofe of being deftrutftive ,if it fell upon
the
tbeLendmyl.^Itris ,har$Ly to be «onceived; with wftai addrefs
they diredtedl tlfis weapon, oft the diftance ai which it would
prove mortal. Theix fpeirs were dnl^calettibsedfolr a certain
diftamce, not being in) general miffible beyond fifty ©4
fi&tyfbet.— They bad other fpears abeW'eighteen feet long,-
which were only: ufed- wben they came to-cloffe- quarters'. with
the enemy.-' :-
When they5 Went fofbiiflJe* fomd of the- Ruptrc&f edrfiediti
the«) canoes a- kind of fwdrd, madbdfve'ry hard-wood,* and
i«lai*with;pa-it^o#dhdHfthis1theybnl'fmadS4iM^ofinpe^
foMalengag«n^f th e 'y ; « e ^ ruffidenfWeighet»fclfe«ye »'jjkufr
aman^fkhli.
h ©unpeople &w W veiy fow daggersVmade At
t h e . w h i c h ah upWafdS; from th d p b in t f
th ey fceathed<them in' afbamboo, and their Hahdles-^efe o f
Wood, fmmeddnm fothe' grotesque fbape; the whole length^ Seepl^r.
of. the inchesb •
' T H E I R . C A N O E-.S. .
' ‘ A s their battles were generally fo u gh t in'canoes, thefe
m a y with prop rie ty follow the account o f their, warlike ,im-.
plements.
They.were,.like moft other canoes,made:from the trunk
of a tree dubbed o u t; but our people, who had often feen
a , * ; I ^e lfe ls