Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. VI NEGRITOS OF PERAK 277
Both these two arrows are single-barbed, and are
decorated, like those contained in the first quiver,
with a number of incised rings between the two
extremities of the feathered portion of the shaft.
The remaining two arrows of the second quiver,
which have not yet been described, are much more
roughly made, and make no pretension to any skill
of workmanship. In both of them the iron spike of
the arrow-head is inserted into the hollow at the
bottom of the shaft direct, and they are entirely un-
provided with the wooden socket -piece or holder
present in all the other specimens. Also, they are
quite undecorated.
I think there can be no doubt that these last two
arrows have been hurriedly made, for use, perhaps,
in an emergency, and that they are less typical of the
arrows ordinarily used by the Semang than those
which have received the greater care and finish.
According to Vaughan - Stevens, the feathers of
the rhinoceros bird (" tekub ") are used as a chariii to
make the arrow fatal when it is employed against the
tiger, and only tiger-arrows are so equipped.'
Vaughan-Stevens further remarks that this feather-
ing is not adopted to make " the arrow tly straight as
in Europe," or at least that the Semang docs not
understand the principle involved in it. " The
feather is stuck in the middle of the shaft, and its
vane may point either forwards or backwards, and
it does not matter how it happens to be fastened
on." When Vaughan-Stevens pointed out that the
arrow, when released (if the vane pointed forwards),
would offer resistance to the wind and flutter sharply
towards the left, the Semang replied that if the
* Vaughan-Stevens, iii. 135.