The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-25
MANILA'S QUAINT
MUSEUM Of CURI0S
WEAPONS OF WAR USED BY THE
NATIVES.
Collections of War Trophies Made
Throughout Two Centuries of
Struggle Between spaniard and
Native-odd Conceits of Untutored


From Freedom" of Manila.
There is located in Manila a place
that is the Mecca and delight of relic
hunters. 1t contains everything con-
ceivable in the shape of crude weapons
of warfare and Is the one spot in the
city for relics of semi civilization, some
of which show genius in the manner
of imitation.
The collection has been accommodating
for over two centuries and there Is no
part of it not represented by the arms
typical of the tribe from which they
came. The collection has been So
cured by force. When a tribe was
conquered its munitions of war were
seized and brought to this junk room
for safe keeping.
Perhaps the weapons universally
used throughout the archipelago are
the bolo and machete. There is a
stack Of them that contains every de.
scription of the weapons made. There
is the big, g,awkward machete that looks
ugly-a weapon that is largely utilized
among the natives not only for fight
ing, but for cutting cane. etc. With
it or the bolo a native can cut sufii-
cient bamboo to build his caso or per-
form any kind of architectural feat.
He is handy with 1t, and is danger
Gus enemy at close quarters. There
are possibly fifty different kinds If
knives included in the collection. Some
are more fancy than others and are
enCased in handsome leather sheathS.
They were usually worn by officers ana
are not so large or formidable as the
bolos that the rank and file carried.
A BAMBOO CANNON.
Perhaps the most interesting collec-
tion is the building is the bamboo and
ghspipe cannon, made in amitation
of the artillery of the Europeans. 1t
is not likely that they ever did much
damage to their oppressOrs with those
engines of war; for they appear to be
more capable of doing more execution
to those operating them than to the
enemy.
There is one kind made from one
to three inch pipe. strongly secured
to a stock of wood in a crude man.
ner. Some were bound with rattan
cords. 1t is not possible that the
inventor ever intended that there
should he any recoil, and consequently
it was difficult for them to secure gum
ners, as that honorable position in the
rebel artillery must have been very
dangerous and unpleasant.
There are some cannon made entirely
of bamboo. The wood is bound to-
gether by iron, in some instances. and
If this was not available wooden bands
made out Of bamboo or rattan were
used The sizes of those cannons run
all the way from two to six inches
LAVA CANNON BALLS.
Then comes the lava cannon balls
used. They are made of the lava Of
volcanoes and when not available
stones of nearly circular shape are
used. There are none of them that
would cause much commotion among
the enemy,b but they represent the crude
attempt of people to combat the
modern methods of their oppressors.
The stands and shelves are lined
with every kind of old fashioned flint
lock, used in early days, by the Span
iards and afterwards fell into the
hands of the natives. There are also
many limitations of those, among which
Is that of the flint. Instead of using
flint the improved gun of the natives
had a small piece Of grooved bamboo
BY forcing a pointed stick made Of
bamboo up and down this groove. like
the American Indians method with
pieces of fir, sparks will fly and COM
municate to the pan where the printing
lays. The barrels of the guns made
| by the natives We're composed Of gas
pipe and the wood work was very
| crude.
The sabres and swords in the collec-
tion are all well tempered, although
the most of them are poorly finished.
There are quite a number of old Span
| ish swords which they came by as
they came by everything that is use
| less.
SPEARS.
The spears are all Of the same make
| and are possibly the most unique and
creditable that the islands produce.
| They are highly finished, the wood
| used being ebony. The iron prongs are
| polished and have a very striking ap-
| pearance. The poles are about six feet
long and it is said that the warriors
could use those weapons very dexter
| ously
The blow gun Of the mountain tribes
| find a small place in the collection
| There was large collection at one
| time, but the demand for them was so
| great that they soon disappeared.
| There is also in the collection a num-
ber of models that belonged to the
office of patents, that represent the
crude attempts of the natives to in
troduce labOr-saving machines. There
is the model of a rice grinder that is
very clever, and it is said that the
machine is now in use in some parts of
the island. The other models are i'm
provements on derrcks, cane grinders
and a few machines for working iron.
| They are all somewhat unioua and In