File:The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world - being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics (14586598029).jpg

Identifier: uncivilizedraces00wood (find matches)
Title: The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world : being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics
Year: 1878 (1870s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889
Subjects: Ethnology Manners and customs Savages
Publisher: Hartford : J. B. Burr and company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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he spent missiles. Sometimes, when he has not sjiace toraise his arm, or when he wants to take hisfoe by surprise, he throws the assagai witha kind of underhand jerk, his arm hangingat full length. An assagai thus deliveredcannot he thrown so far as l\v the ordinarymethod, but it can lie propelled with con-siderable force, and frequently achieves tlieobject for which it was intended. He nevertlirows the last of the sheaf, but if he cannotsucceed in picking up those that are alreadythrown, either by himself or his enemy,he dashes forward, and, as he closes withthe foe, snaps the shaft of the assagai iuthe middle, throws away the tip, and uses theremaining portion as a dagger. Tlie wood of which the shaft is made,though very elastic, is very brittle, and anovice in the art is sure to lireak severalof his spears before he learns to throwthem projierly. Unless they are rightlycast, as soon as the blade reaches theground the shaft gives a kind of whipforward, and snaps short just above the
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SPOONS FOR EATIN(: POURIDGE. (See page 148.) GROUl OF ASSAGAIS. (Sec pages 101, 105.)(103) A KAFFIR CHIEFS STEATAGEM. 105 blade. One of the great warrior chiefsmade a singular use of tliis property. Justbefore going into action, lie made his mencut theshafls of their assagais nearly across,just beyond the junction of the shaft andthe head. The consequence of this ingen-ious ruse became evident enough whenthe action commenced. If the weaponwent ti-ue to its mark, it pierced the bodyof the foe just as etfectually as if nothinghad been done to it; while if it missed, andstruck the ground or a shield, the shaftinstantly snapped, and the weapon wasthereby rendered useless to the foe. Unknowingly, the barbaric chief copiedthe example that was set by a Roman gen-eral nearly two thousand years ago. WhenMarius made war against the Cimbri, histroops carried the short heavy javelin,called the jxilum. This weapon had a thickhandle, to the end of which the long bladewas attached by two iron rivets

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