Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

3oS WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS vari ii
kind of palm - wood. The ragged portions of the
internode which still remain are rasped down with the
formidably armed leaf-whip ("onak") of a rattan (or
" Wait-a-bit Thorn "), which is thrust down into the
tube and worked to and fro until the jagged remains
of the node have been entirely removed.
Both the inner tube and its case having thus been
prepared and cut to the same length, it only remains
to push the former with great care into its casing.
Treatment of the Mttzzle-end.
But in order to obviate the inconvenience and
risk of a " loose fit," several narrow and long wedge-
shaped strips about a foot and a half long (like the
"gores" in the waist of a lady's skirt) are excised at
the muzzle-end of the case, and the inner tube, which
is now cut shorter than the case (by about 3 inches),
is pushed down into it as far as it will go [i.e. to
within 3 in. (7.5 cm.) of the muzzle-end of the case).
The split ends of the case are now drawn together
till they fit the blowpipe tightly, and a short thick
cylinder, of a woody kind of bamboo, and measuring
about 3 in. (7.5 cm.) long, having been fitted into the
vacant space inside the muzzle -end (to which the
blowpipe does not reach), the whole affair is bound
round either by a single long strip of cane, or by
numerous rings of plaited cane, and coated over with a
thick crust of tree-gum or resin in order to keep these
lashings from working loose, this elaborate arrangement
being finished off by a small ring-shaped piece
of coconut- or tortoise-shell which is imbedded in the
resin at the muzzle-end of the blowpipe in order to
protect the muzzle from fraying or from similar