The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-15
A MURDEROUS
WEAPON THIS
Terrible Hand to = Hand
Slaughter With the
Machete
HUSBANDMAN'S INSTRUMENT
Bet the Clever User Cuts. Rips Open
and Tears the Spanish Enemy,
and Sometimes Sew.
ers the Head
HUSBANDMAN'S INSTRUMENT

Cuba has q terrible national weapon.
In the present conflict In progress in
Cuba the insurgents have done such dead
ly execution with it that the Spsniards
have decided to arm their own infantry
with it in order to be able to M eet the
insurgents on more nearly equal terms.
This weapon is the machete.
:The machete is the Central and South
American agricultural tool. 1t is pro-
nounoced as if spelled nah -tchay-tay,
with an accent on the ay of the second
syllable. 1t is the husbandman's imple-
ment IN all sugar growing countries.
There are some 800 or 400 styles used in
Brazil, the Central American states,
Mexico and San Domingo. Each country
uses different blade, and of each there
are about 100 varieties.
But wherever it appears and whatever
ats style. it is murderous weapon in the
hands of those accustomed to its use. 1t
has played no small part in the history
of all uprisings IN the Spanish-spea
provinces. But in Cuba it has done such
execution that if the island should win
her freedom the machete ought to be in
cluded in the coat 'of-arms OF Cuba libra.
In Cuba every man possesses q ma
cbete, no matter what else he doesn't
own. 1t Is the tool of the Cuban work
ingman. With it he earns his living cut
ting the sugarcane. With it he cuts the
firewood for his own use. Indeed, it is
Ratchet and knife ombined for him.
Every Cuban except those who live in
the big cities. like Havana, is familiar
with the use OF the machete. The rank
and file of the CUBAN insurgents, who
come from the plantations, are not
hi IN Of : l.
make up for it by the ferocity with which
they engage in close-quarter encounters
with Spanish soldier.y with the faithful
machete. When this is the case the
Spaniard fares badly and the machete
man leaves a lot OF bloody corpses or
wound ed bodies behind him.
One of the horrible features OF battle
where machetes have been used is the
number OF partly beheaded or partially
ripped open bodies that are found.
A young Cuban explained the most
common m"nner of using the machete.
1t is entirely different from sword prac-
tics; the thrust is not EN- ployed at all.
The aim of the machete user is to cut,
rip and tear his opponent and disable
or kill at once. Among the Insurgents
the privates, who are armed with ma
chetes, carry the weapon in the scabbard
at the left side of the belt or dangling
about the wrist. In any case the weapon
is not held for use until the lines are
within few yards OF each other.
When the word is passed the machete
is pulled from the scabbard with an up
ward stroke diagonallv to the right, win
the longest and sharpest edge towards
the enemy. This constitutes one stroke,
and is aimed at the abdomen of the at
lacking person, with the design of cnt-
ting or tearing tina body below the waist.
With the weapon raised to the length of
the right arm the wrist is simply turned
over, and the -.achete makes a stroke
back to the left so as to slash the attacked