Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-10-16

A Museum of Curios at Manila Col
lected by the Spanish.

There is located in Manila a place
that is the Mecca and delight of relic
hunters. 1t cintains everything con-
ceivable in the shape Of crude weapons
Of warfare, and is the one spot in the
city for relics of standardization,
some of which show genius in the
manner of imitation.
The collection has been accumulat-
ing for over two centuries, and there
is no part of it not represented by the
arms typical of the tribe from which
they came. When tribe was con-
quered 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
big awkward machite 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 sufficient
bamboo to build his case or perform
any kind of architectural feat. He is
handy with it, and is a dangerous
enemy at close quarters. There is
possibly so different kinds of knives
included in the collection. Some are
more fancy than others and are in
cased in handsome leather sheaths.
Those were usually worn by officers
and are not so large or formidable as
the bolos that the rank and file car
ried.
Perhaps the most interesting collec-
ton in the building is the bamboo and
gaspipe cannO, made in imitation 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
capable of doing more execution to
those operating them than to the
enemy.
There is one kind made from one
inch to three-inch pipe, strongly Sc
cured to a stock of wood in a crude
manner Some were bound with
rattan cords. It is NOT possible that
the inventor ever intended that there
should be any recoil, and consequently
it was difficult for them to secure gun
ners, as that honorable position in the
rebel artillery must have been very
dangerous and unpleasant.
There are some cannon made entire
ly 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 can
mons run all the way from two to
six inches.
Then comes the lava cannon balls
used. They are made of the lava of
volcanoes, and when not available,
stones of nearly circular shape were
used. There are none of them that
would cause much commotion among
the enemy, but they represent the
crude attempt of a people to combat
the modrn methods of their oppres-
ssOrs.
The stands and shelves are lined
with every kind of old-fashioned flint
lock used in early days by the SAM
ards, and afterward 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 grioved 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 prim-
ing laws. The barrels of the guns
made by the natives were composed of
gaspipe, and the woodwork was very
crude.
The sabers and swords in the collec-
ton are all we'll tempered, although
the most of them are poorly finished.
There are quite a number Of old
Spanish swords which they came by
as they came by everything that is
useless.
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 APP
pearance. The poles are about six
feet long and it is said that the war
riors could use those weapons very
deNerOusly.
The blow gun of the mountain
tribes finds a small place in the col
lection. There was a large collection
at one time, but the demand for them
was so great that they soon disap-
peared.
There is also in the collection a
number of models that belonged to the
office of patients, that represent the
crud attempts of the natives to in
reduce labor-saving machines. There
is he 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 derricks, cane grinders
and a few machines for working iron.
They are all somewhat unique and in
teresting, as they represent attempts
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