The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-22
BOlOS OF THE FILIP|NOS.
DEADLY WEAPONS OF NATIVES
ARE MADE IN MANY STYLES.
Considered ef Prime Importance by
Their owners-Every Filipino
and Moro Has one-Used I'm RE-
lfxious Exercises q. Wen as War.

fgtous Exercises as Well a. War.
While much Is heard Of the hoio men In
the Philippine islands. writes A. w. Bull
in the Washington Star. little Is known
Of the bolo Itself. and the important part
II plays in the Filipino civilization. Every
Filipino and Moro has his bolo. He does
not necessarily carry II as a war weapon.
1t enters into his home life and marks
his social and professional rank by its
shape and ornamentation A Filipino who
has improved his opportunities and risen
from the lahoring class to the rank Of
an officer in the Filipino army preserves
carefully the bolos which have followed
him In his upward career At homo the
oolo Is Kept In place sacred to itself,
usually over the door OF the main room.
Some times one will see in wealthy Fiji
pino or Moro home as many as four or FIVE
OF these blades ranging from the sundanS
TO the ornate kris pronounced creese)
These viii indicate that the owner has
risen In life from the laborirg class 10 the
land owning class or that he has held
office, possibly reaching the height OF
general in the native army
Mindanao is the home of the boio Near
~ every bolo OF any value at all comes
from this island which Is next I'm sire
TO Luzon. So far as thu social and pro-
fessional significance Of the arm Is con-
cerned the classification OF the Moros
of Mindanao Is tacitiy accepted all over
the Philippines as official The officers
and men OF Importance In the Filipino
army and government have adopted this
classification along with the weapon IT.
self
All these instruments are made by
hand. There are several boio factories In
Mindanao. mostly located in interior and
eel. L..
tories Of Importance In Samar and Leyte.
two other large islands Criminals are
usually made TO work In the boio factor
les, though there are special experts, paid
by towns to superintend the labor. A fac
tory or 'fabrfca de boio" consists Gener-
ally Of a large nipa shed with huge pieces
OF iron and steel lying about TO be beaten
into shape. Some OF this work Is so or
nate and beautiful that one might easily
imagine that II Is the product OF skilled
mechanics. A criminal can secure his
liberty very often by turning out some
special piece OF work. Many OF the men
become expert In wood and ivory cary
inb, AZ the handles Of the bolos plainly
indicate.
weapon is the bolo proper, which gives the
generic name to all this class of weapons.
Simple in design and without ornamental
ton. IL fs primarily a weapon OF war. Of
ficially the carrying OF the bolo proper In
dicates rank or position. It's handle In cut
from carabao horn and its blade II ham
mered out OF a piece OF steel The bcio of
the Filipino does not enter into the relig-
ious life OF the owner as does that OF tho
Moro and the native OF the southern isl-
ands OF the group. In some islands II is
the center OF strange and secret rites.
Men and women perform intricate and
picturesque holo dances. the signihcation
OF which they cannot be prevailed upon
to reveal. Often a native viii dance with
the boio until he or she falls from ex-
haustion. During the mystic dance, al
ways performed prior TO n marriage. the
bolo plays a most important part. all
members Of the family or clan snally
prostrating themselves before II and
swearing allegiance to II, should the mar
riage contract ever be violated.
In the north OF the archipelago a form
OF bolo Is used AZ an agricultural instru-
ment for the gathering and harvesting OF
crops. or late years these implements
have become weapons of war and as
agencies OF death are far moro effective
than the Cuban machets. This particular
weapon is known as the sundang. which,
when carried. places the owner In the
laboring class. II is now the regular
weapon OF the private soldier in the FIJI
pino army In Luxon and the northern lsl-
ands IL In hammered out Of An old piece
OF iron or steel. while the handle Ii usu-
ally OF wood or horn. The scabbard 10
cut roughly out OF two pieces Of wood
tied together by strips OF bamboo Tho
weapon Is curiousiy shaped and cunning
~ balanced 40 to throw the weight
toward the striking end. Even a light
blow IL terribly effective The average
Filipino ia an dcxtrous In handling the
sandsng as q fencing master r. with the
rapier.
The csmpiisn is the regular arm Of the
Moro private soldier. II is about four feet
long and very Sharp. Its scabbard CON
sists of two pieces of wood loosely tied
together with a single piece OF bamboo
thread. II " carried over the shnsider
and n never unshsathed for the nrst
stroke. When necessity for Its use arises
II ~ brought down on the head with the
scabbard on a. The blade cuts through
the thread, thus unsheathing Itself This
- a device used 20 6lharm the enemy 81
suspicion. There f. regular drill tina,
this Moros so through with this weapon.
cutting ana chopping with an sxtraar-
binary Ewiftncss while continually leap.
ina hither ard shither "a avoid the return
81 thH enemy An individual encounter
between two natives armed with the cam
plan presents curious and startling
spectacle. One sees the sudden stroke,
bears the clap and rattle II the wooden
acshhArd a. u lands aud watches 4, fan
"a the ground In halves ~ IL the blow
had been effective only IN breaking the
weapon. u seems hidsorsiy inoonsraosss
that ira recipient ~ tho stroke ahoula
- sgwu wtth his skull split a. the aanas
nloment ffst the sheAihet steal does ita
wnfk swiftly ara such duets are over
w3th thr Fsxst swtnw that reaches sfa
mark The handle q the rampgAn y a.
says ~ bard wood usually eAeny ar
mahogany.
THE haarT eafnT8isn Il TIA rsark ~ tha
sifiesv beisw The rank ~ rna9ar II differs
srom Tn ordinary camplsas oniy ~ the
fast that a ianx safs os hair u attached "a
the hmH6ie, This hair is dyed vita wera-
cable arr. USUALLY &erp red. sss some.
fsfues bright yrtiew ~ Erees- IL fgrsre~
times he h&lr nruSTnewtaftan was frssra
the hsAS ~ slain enamY. u - s@B thas
even row he Nezia - ere dad fas - ia
sanse ~ tha islands saures as rappsy
Afaaax The star 1fgiesrs the hrs i ihs
fsvssfae wsaH'oa- II is fToTa fwa 70 thrs~
a..