blowgun

This is a long, narrow pipe through which darts or other projectiles are blown. Primarily a hunting weapon, a blowgun is rarely used in warfare. It has been used by aboriginal peoples in Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, South India and Sri Lanka, Madagascar, northwest South America, and Central America. Blowguns vary in length from 18 in (45 cm) to more than 23 ft (7 m) and are often made of cane or bamboo. Darts are usually made of palm-leaf midribs or wood or bamboo splinters 1½–40 in (4–100 cm) in length. The dart must fit the tube snugly, so that a puff of human breath will cause it to fly from the tube. To be effective against quarry larger than small birds, poison is added to the darts.