Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-04-21
FIJI CUBAN MAcAEIE.
The Peculiar Implement with, which
the Cuban Insurgents Fight.

~
The Peculiar Implement with, Which
b Cuban 1usurgents Fight.
The Spanish word machete, which is
pronounced by the Cubans "mah-chet-
ay," with the CHI as in the English word
'chin," and. the accent on the second
Of the three syllables, is derived from
the verb machar, to pound up or break
into small pieces. 1t is related to the
word "masticate," and it is of interest
to know that in the hands Of the Cuban
natives the Instrument Is used rather
as a chewer-up Of things than as a
sword.
1t is about two feet long, although
sometimes it is shorter than that. 1t
has a handle Of horn, and no guard.
The blade broadens. toward the point,
out toward the tip bends back, slightly
like q Turkish scimitar, and comes to
q sharp point. 1t is generally thick
and heavy, and a hard blow may be
struck with it.
Most Of the machetes in the hands of
Cuban insurgents are made in the Uni
ted States, where they can be bought
for three dollars and a half, although
the ordinary price for a new one in
Cuba is five dollars.
Machetes seldom seem to be made of
a high grade of steel, and they wear
rapidly under the use which the insur-
gents give them. 1t is very common
to see them worn to a thin and narrow
blade, and notched up sadly. Lieut..
Maceo, q half-naked and coal-black me-
gro, who said he was a cousin of An
tonic Maceo, offered to sell me at Dali
quiri, for five dollars, the machete
which he had carried from Pinar del
Rio, ut one end Of Cuba, to Santiago
at the other end, and had borne in
many engagements.
Among the expert uses to which the
Cuban puts his machete there is none
more picturesque than the opening or
peeling of a cocoanut. He takes the
green c0coanut in his left hand and be-
gins to strike blows at it with the ma
chete, held in his other hand. These
blows are not made to split the nut
open, but to make q spot SO thin near.
n end of it that the point Of the blade
will presently open a nice round hole,
out Of which the water Of the cocoanut
can be drunk. When this is gone, q
blow or two breaks the nut into pieces,
and with the point the nutritious pulp
of the nut is dug out.
The most interesting use Of the ma
chete that I saw was the cutting Of
windows in the foliage of the jungle, to
see the Spaniards through, when we
were on a very dangerous reconnois-
sance two miles in advance Of our own
lines. With Spanish sentinels pacing
up and down, their intrenchments,
Aausers in their hands, less than q
third of a mile away, and looking
straight at the spot where we were, it
was a decidedly ttcklish thing for our
two Cubans to slash with hard blows
at the branches. making peep-holes
through them. They seemed to be con-
ddent Of not being seer OF heard, and
used their machetes with both hands.
With my glass I watched a Spanish
soldier halt, look steadily and curious
II at the spot where we were, and raise
his gun. as II to fire. ( can e SOL
emmy that I did not move a muscle
WSAA0 NC oSOV0 S4uSI although II Se0U1.
ed to me that he might hear my heart
beating clear over there. We should
hardly have escaped if we had been
discovered.
The Cubans. who had no glasses,
kept on slashing. But the Spaniard, as
II making up his mind that 1t was only
the wind. laid his gun across his arm,
and resumed his pacing.
One Of the most curious effects Of
the machete can be observed in the
ears Of Cuban ponies. 1 once asked
why so many of these animals were
crop-eared. and was told that the Gu
ban cayalryman occasionally becomes
excited with excess Of patriotism, and
takes to whirltng his machete round
and round his head while seated on his
horse. In its gyrations the blade is
very apt to take off the tips Of the
DOny'S earS.-YOuth'S Comnanion