Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-17
CUBAN WEAPON.


The skllsul User Cuts snd Tears The
spsnlsh Enemy and Sometimes
Sewers His Hsad.
Cuba has q terrible national weap-
on. In the present conflict In pro-
gress In Cuba the insurgents have
done such deadly execution with II
that the Spaniards have decided to
arm their own infantry with 1t In
order to be able to meet the insur-
gents on more nearly equal terms.
This weapon is the machete.
The machete Is the Central and
South American agricultural tool.
1t is pronounced as II spelled NAH
tchay-tay. with an accent on the ay
of the second syllable. tits the hus-
bandman's implement in all sugar
growing countries. There are some
three or four hundred styles used In
Brazil, the Central American States,
Mexico and San Domingo Each
country uses a different blade. and
of each there are about hundred
varieties.
But wherever it appears and what
ever it's style. it is murderous
weapon in the hands of those accus-
toned to it's use. 1t has played no
small part In the history of all upris-
ings in the Spanish speaking prov
inces. But in Cuba it has done such
execution that IL the island should
win her freedom the machete ought
to be included in the coat-of-arms OF
Cuba libra.
In Cuba every man possesses a
machete. no matter what else he
doesn't own. 1t is the tool of the
Cuban workingman. With it he
earns his living cutting the sugar
cane. With 1t he cuts the firewood
for his own use. Indeed, it is Ratchet
and knife combined for him.
Every Cuban except those who live
in the big cities, like Havana. is ia
miliar with the use OF the machete.
The rank and file of the Cuban insur-
gents, who come from the planta-
tions, are not skilled in the use OF
firearms. - But they make up for it
by the ferocity with which they en-
gage in close-quarter encounters with
Spanish soldiery with the faithful
machete. When this is the case the
Spaniard fares badly and the machete
man leaves lot of bloody corpses or
wounded bodies behind him.
Ayoung Cuban explained the most
common manner Of using the mach
etc. 1t is entirely different from
sword practice; the thrust is not en-
ployed ut all. The aim of the mach
etc user is to cut, rip and tear his
opponent and disable or kill at once.
Among the insurgets the privares,
who are armed with machetes, carry
the weapon in the scabbard at the
left side Of the beltsor dangling from
chain abot the right wrist. In any
case the weapon is not held for use
until the lines are within few yards
of each other.
When the word it passed the
machete is pulled from the scabbard
with an upward stroke diagonally to
the right, with the longest and sharp
edge toward the enemy. This con-
stitutes one stroke, and is aimed at
the abdomen OF the attacked person
with the design OF cutting or tearing
the body. With the weapon raised
to the length OF the right arm the
wrist is simply turned over, and the
machete makes stroke back to the
left so as to slash the attacked per-
sons neck and, il possible, partially
behead him. With still one more
turn of the wrist the edge of the
machete strikes downward, cleavine
the body again.
This is all done with wonderful
dexterity. These strokes are the
easiest form of attack to learn among
edged weapons. In the hands of the
insurgents who are habituated to the
use of the machete and are very
strong the blows are described as
wicked. Many times heads are all
but severed from the body, and q
machete wound is usually fatal.
The machete used by the insur-
gents at present is a very cheap and
ordinary looking affair and costs less
than q dollar. 1t is made in Eng
land and in Germany. The blades are
from twenty to thirty inches long.
Some of them have blade slightly
curved backward towards the thick,
dull edge with rounded point curv.
ed back to the thick edge. The IA
vorite and the one that has done
most damage to the Spanish forces
has the thirty inch blade, about three
inches wide. long, straight and clean
looking, and with the end cut off di.
agonally to point, as a milliner cuts
the ends Of a ribbon bow. The han
die is of rough looking bone. the han
die OF the blade being run through
the centre and fastened together
with what looks like four ordinary
nails with the heads cut of. There IL
no guard at all and the machete man
often gets his fingers badly wounded
That is the simplest machete.
Others have the bone handle curved
to fit into the palm OF the hand
When the Cuban husbandman gets
his machete it isn't at all sharp. He
however, whets it up until it cuts
very easily. A Cuban who has beer
with the insurgent army described
the scene after an encounter. wher
the insurgents sat around, each bust.
ly sharpening his machet for the
next assault.
Not only the privates, but the Of.
ficers as well use the machete. The
officers have shorter weapon and o.
better stuff. The long blades OF the
machete of the private will almos,
bend double without breaking. The
shorter, broader, thicker weapons
have not the same elasticity.