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wallace.online.org
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258 TROPICAL NATUREzigzag, branched manner as to form veritable climbing bamboos.They generally prefer dry and upland stations, thoughsome grow near the banks of rivers, and a few in the thickforests, and, in South America, in flooded tracts.They oftenform dense thickets where the forests have been cleared away,and owing to their great utility they are cultivated or preservednear native houses and villages, and in such situationsoften give a finishing charm to the landscape.Uses of the BambooPerhaps more than any other single type of vegetation, thebamboo seems specially adapted for the use of half-civilisedman in a wild tropical country ;and the purposes to which itis applied are almost endless. It is a natural column orcylinder, very straight, uniform in thickness, of a compact andsolid texture, and with a smooth, flinty, naturally -polished,external skin. It is divided into ringed joints at regularintervals which correspond to septa or partitions within, sothat each joint forms a perfectly closed and water-tight vessel.Owing to its hollowness, the hardness of the external skin,and the existence of the joints and partitions, it is wonderfullystrong in proportion to its weight. It can be found ofmany distinct sizes and proportions, light or heavy, long orshort-jointed, and varying from the size of a reed to that of atall and slender palm-tree. It can be split with great facilityand accuracy, and, owing to its being hollow, it can be easilycut across or notched with a sharp knife or hatchet. It isexcessively strong and highly elastic, and whether green ordry is almost entirely free from any peculiar taste or smell.The way in which these various qualities of the bamboorender it so valuable will be best shown by giving a briefaccount of some of the uses to which it is applied in theMalay Archipelago.Several effective weapons are easily made from bamboo.By cutting off the end very obliquely just beyond a joint, avery sharp cutting point is produced suitable for a spear,dagger, or arrow-head, and capable of penetrating an animal'sbody as readily as iron. Such spears are constantly used bymany of the Malay tribes. In the eastern half of the Archipelago,where bows and arrows are used, these weapons are

n EQUATORIAL VEGETATION 259often formed entirely of bamboo. The harder and thickersorts, split and formed with tapering ends, make a verystrong and elastic bow, while a narrow strip of the outer skinof the same is used for the string, and the slender reed-likekinds make excellent arrows. One of the few agriculturaltools used by the Papuans a spud or hoe for planting orweedingis made of a stout bamboo cut somewhat like thespear.For various domestic purposes the uses of bamboo areendless. Ladders are rapidly made from two bamboo polesof the required length, by cutting small notches just aboveeach ring, forming holes to receive the rungs or steps formedof a slenderer bamboo. For climbing lofty trees to get beeswax,a temporary ladder reaching to any height is ingeniouslyformed of bamboo. One of the hardest and thickest sorts ischosen, and from this a number of pegs about a foot long aremade. These are sharpened at one end and then driven intothe tree in a vertical line about three feet apart. A tall andslender bamboo is then placed upright on the ground andsecurely tied with rattan or other cords to the heads of thesewhich thus with the tree itself form a ladder. A manpegs,mounts these steps and builds up the ladder as he goes,driving in fresh pegs and splicing on fresh bamboos till hereaches the lower branches of the tree, which is sometimeseighty or a hundred feet from the ground. As the weight ofthe climber is thrown on several of the pegs which are boundtogether and supported by the upright bamboo, this ladder ismuch safer than it looks at first sight, and it is made withwonderful rapidity.When a path goes up a steep hill oversmooth ground, bamboo steps are often laid down to preventslipping while carrying heavy loads. These are made withuniform lengths of stout bamboo in which opposite notchesare cut at each end just within a joint. These notches allowstrong bamboo pegs to be driven through into the ground,thus keeping the steps securely in place. The masts andyards of native vessels are almost always formed of bamboo,as it combines lightness, strength, and elasticity in anunequalled degree. Two or three large bamboos also formthe best outriggersto canoes on account of their great buoyancy.They also serve to form rafts; and in the city of

n EQUATORIAL VEGETATION 259often formed entirely of bamboo. The harder and thickersorts, split and formed with tapering ends, make a verystrong and elastic bow, while a narrow strip of the outer skinof the same is used for the string, and the slender reed-likekinds make excellent arrows. One of the few agriculturaltools used by the Papuans a spud or hoe for planting orweedingis made of a stout bamboo cut somewhat like thespear.For various domestic purposes the uses of bamboo areendless. Ladders are rapidly made from two bamboo polesof the required length, by cutting small notches just aboveeach ring, forming holes to receive the rungs or steps formedof a slenderer bamboo. For climbing lofty trees to get beeswax,a temporary ladder reaching to any height is ingeniouslyformed of bamboo. One of the hardest and thickest sorts ischosen, and from this a number of pegs about a foot long aremade. These are sharpened at one end and then driven intothe tree in a vertical line about three feet apart. A tall andslender bamboo is then placed upright on the ground andsecurely tied with rattan or other cords to the heads of thesewhich thus with the tree itself form a ladder. A manpegs,mounts these steps and builds up the ladder as he goes,driving in fresh pegs and splicing on fresh bamboos till hereaches the lower branches of the tree, which is sometimeseighty or a hundred feet from the ground. As the weight ofthe climber is thrown on several of the pegs which are boundtogether and supported by the upright bamboo, this ladder ismuch safer than it looks at first sight, and it is made withwonderful rapidity.When a path goes up a steep hill oversmooth ground, bamboo steps are often laid down to preventslipping while carrying heavy loads. These are made withuniform lengths of stout bamboo in which opposite notchesare cut at each end just within a joint. These notches allowstrong bamboo pegs to be driven through into the ground,thus keeping the steps securely in place. The masts andyards of native vessels are almost always formed of bamboo,as it combines lightness, strength, and elasticity in anunequalled degree. Two or three large bamboos also formthe best outriggersto canoes on account of their great buoyancy.They also serve to form rafts; and in the city of

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