Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-18
FILIPINO WEAPONS.
Some of the Implements Our Soldiers
Have Faced Many Times.

From the New York Press.
Consul General Rounsevelle Wildman of
Hong Kong has sent to his friend A c.
Van Gaasbeck of New York a cempiete 9
collection of war weapons used by the
TagaIos. Negritos and other savage and
sem-savage tribes in the Philippine Is
lands. Among the weapons are spears,
bolos and swords. which, the consul general
says, are the fayorte weapons of bandits
as well as soldiers who are to be found in
that part of the archipea go-along the east
coast Of Luzon-in which Lieutenant J. c.
Gilmore and fourteen others of the United
States gunboat Yorktown were recently am
pushed and captured by Filipinos.
In letter to Mr.. Van Gaasbecl the con-
sui general describes the weapons included
in the collection, and tells of the uses to
which they are put There are several
spears seven feet long from the butt to the
pointed tip. The handles are OF native
wood; the tips of some are of metal. of
others of fish bone. Armed only with these
spears, some of the Negritos faced Uncle
Sans soldiers. even those in charge of ma
chine guns.
says Mr.. Wildulan, handle these spears
dextrously, and hurl them with astonish-
ing velocity. Oftentines the sayages soak
the heads of these weapons in poisonous
liquids or daub them with equally poison
paint"
The consul general calls particular atten-
ton to the bolos, a number of which he has
sent TO Mr.. Van Gaasbeck. Many of Agui-
raido's troops who faced MacArthur's men
in the fierce fighting about Manila were
armed with boos, and hundreds of the
weapons were found by MacArthur's men
or the bodies of dead Filipinos on the field
There are a number of varieties of bolos
All have their uses. but the short, broad
bladed one is the most formidable The
Filipinos generally are expert in its use
The best of these bolos-and this is true of
Filipino weapons 'generally-are made in
Mindanao.
Many large wooden shields used by
spearsmen are included in this collection
Their workmanship is beautiful, as many
as a score Of varieties of native woods ar
ranged in mosaic effects. being used in
their construction. The most elaborate are
round but many are oblong. In hand to-
hand fighting With enemies similarly armed,
these shields are useful to the tribesmen.
but the latter have learned now, if they
never KNEW it before. that no shield ever
made is mich N a protection against a
well-aimed rifle shot Even in close range
ignorant hordes which faced Uncle Sans
boys The latter rushed upon the enemy
with almost savage ferocty in more than
one engagement, Tand such of the Filipinos
as did not flee panle-stricken We're slain or
captured Many shields were riddled with
bullets or slashed and jabbed to pieces with
the bayonet
Two swords of peculiar make are used
by the Filipinos. One is called the ser
pent kriss' and the other the straight
krss" A huge battleax having broad
fishbone blade is an ugly looking weapon.
Filipino savages make use of it in combat.
but the more or less civilized troops serv-
ing under Aguinaldo have not been armed
with it, r
Il also send you genuine Filipino exc
cution knife" writes Mr. Wildman This
weapon is used in ehopping off heads. The
work is done with a single swing of the
knife. or ak. for that is what it really Is.
The upper part of the weapon runs back
ward to a sharp point. With this the exc
cutioner brushes the victims skull and
losses the severed head aside. Some of
Aguinado's subordinates have been slain
with this execution knife for disobedience
or cowardice."