Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-06
KNIVES AND SWORDS.
characteristics Of Savage People as
Shown in their Weapons.

THE INDIAN sCALPING KNIFE ONLY AN UNRc-
MANTIC BUTCHER KNIFE-COPPER KNIVES
FROM THE N0RTHWEsT-MALAY CREEsES AND
AFRICAN SWORDS.
''The scalping knife is nothing In the world
but q butchers knife" said the ethnologist at
the National Museum to STAR reporter. "See,
here is one," and he picked out of a drawer
filled with notwithstanding weapons an old
knife-a common meat knife-hanging in a
little case or scabbard of buckskin. "A scalp.
ing knife may be made OF stone. The Indians
Mhs Trey Here 'h the
picked out torpahawk with a metal head. the
upper part being fashioned like pipe bowl.
"The traders found out" he said 'that the
t1aahayk and end they he s,a made them her, like
of Indian manufacture, made of the branching
antler of a stag. Another of metal, made by
white man., cnriously enough, preserved the
general outline Of the genuine indian toma
dered formidable by three steel knife blades in
serted in the wood 1t represented aboriginal
Welded the club had bought the knives, and,
taking out the blades, inserted them In the
Club. "seaiping is pfacticed chiefly by the In
hasin,D said the ethnologist, coming back
again TO the subject of knives. "phe Indians OF
the coast, who engage in fishing, and Indians
who engage in industrial pursuits, do not, as
rule, take scalps.'
INDIAN KNIVES
Then he went over with the reporter large
collection of knives, calling attention to the
TACT that i'm almost every case they could be
they came by some popularity In fashioning
them or characteristic ornament There We're
knives from the Sitka Indians OF Alaska, ham,
mered by the Indians themselves out OF cop
per. These knives had peculiar handles, rudefy
fashioned to represent human head. Another
n hoe
Knives from the Kutchin Indians of the inte-
~ two prongs curling away from each other.
Knives sold to the Indians by Russian traders
had wide and shallow grooves running down The
of The northwest coast were Qruamented in
the peculiar fashion OF these Indians, with
the totems OF the owners carved upon the
handles. There were knives CT slate and knives
OF tlinty stone, the work Of the primitive sword
maker. The primitive knife of stone is now
used in religious ceremonies in which the knife
plays part. When one Of the Navajo chiefs
recently here was taken sick and had to have
certain herbs prepared in certain way, he in
He had to have also a reed and one was fur.
nished from the chronological collection at the
national museum. The old chief, however, dis
shaft OF an Apache arrow, and he rejected it. A
new reed never detiied by Apache hand had
to be procured for him.
FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
Knives in the collection from savage or
semi5savage peoples in other parts Of the
dams, had some CHARACTERISTIC by which
they could be easily CLASSIFIED Where
the people have come under Mohammedan an
huence one Of the characteristics was the ex-
eeilenge Of the leather work On the scahhard or
belt. The curling blade is also CHARACTERISTIC of
sword. There were knives and swords from tie
tribes OF northern Africa, hung In exquisitely
from Africa are Of native manufacture, made of
the iron which Is found III such pure state
that the natives can work IL into weapons and
implements by very simple smelling processes.
by some Ko-Ko OF central Africa is
one OF the most curious In the collection. 1t is
heavy and looks like large iron sickle, only
the sharp edge IL on the outer instead of the
inner curve. Sometimes, IL is said. the elastic
limb Of tree is pulled down and the head OF
the condemned person Is made fast to It.
Then when the exeGutiOnsr sewers the head the
limb springs back to its place, throwing the
head INTO the air, as bean or pebble Is
thrown from a bean-shooter. Some swords
from Africa had short straight blades, like the
Roman sword that conquered the world. The
Maiays are represented by peculiar blades,
which always play part Ia all stories of adj
os crooked These are
curves. These blades have peculiar handle,
which Y wide enough at the hiIt TO form guard.
The undsr side Of this guard Is toothed aud
jagged, 50 e. ~ spoil The edge Of any blade The.
character were from one 81 the south
Sea isiands. These consisted OF slaves OF COCOA
nut wood, studded with rows Of sharks teeth.
The ingenuity that Is called Into play TO devise
means OF defense against > de armed with sucl,
weapon. The south Sea islander defends him.
self against this jasged sword by means Of .
mantts q tough netting in which ne sword y