Evening star., 1901-05-27
FILIPINO WEAPONS
Ugly Knives and Swords Used i'm War.
fare by the Natives.
From the Hartford Courant

| rom the hartford COurant
| Lieutenant Commander Harry S Knapp,
United States navy. has sent a number of
Filipino weapons to his parents Mr and
| Mrs. Frederick Knapp of IL Columbia
| street. The weapons are of a great deal of
! interest. They show what the American
! soldiers were up against in close fighting
They look uglier than meat axes in
! hand-to-hand conflict. The only implement
| of warefare that is not dangerous (except
TO the NomanS Christian Temperance
Uniom is the canteen, and the Filipino cam
teen Is made of bamboo. 1t looks some
thing like the kegs used for oysters MANY
years ago. The wooden canteen is water
tight and is carried by rope. The slaves
are bound with bark twine
Some of the large swords and knives are
dangerous to handle. They are carried in
sheaths which are lightly wound about the
blade. When the owner is walking about
looking for fight he keeps the blade
| sheathed and does not remove II. Ii is not
removed until the weapon comes down on
the head OF an enemy. A hard blow is de-
livered, and the blade descends il cuts
through the twine that holds the sheath
and is buried in the skull, the sheath fall
ing apart in two pieces.
There are some interesting specimens of
bOloS. Every Filipino and Moro has his
bolo. He does not necessarily carry it as a
war weapon. 1t enters into his home life
and marks his social and professional rank
by It's shape and ornamentation. All these
instruments are made by hand. Criminals
are usually made to work in the bolo fac
tories. Many of the men become expert in
wood and ivory carving, the handles of
the bolos plainly indicate. The bolo plays
an important part in the mystic dance per-
formed prior to a marriage, the members
of the family prostrating themselves before
1t and swearing allegiance to it,
The campilan Is the regular arm OF the
Moro private soldier. 1t Is about four feet
long and very sharp. Its scabbard consists
of two pieces Of wood loosely tied together
1t is never unsheathed for the first stroke.
The blade cuts through the wood, thus un-
sheathing itself. The handle of the cam
plan is OF ebony or mahogany.
The kris is the favorite weapon OF the
staff officers. 1t is from two to three feet
long. One-third of the way down from the
tip 1t ripples in little wavelets OF steel
This sword infiicts a CHASTITY wound The
approved kris stroke is for the body with
a peculiar weaving motion Of the wrist
supposed to send the blade home and
spread the wound. The blade is often inlaid
with gold and sometimes with pearls and
other jewels. In theory this is to make 1t
flash in the light as it is brandished above
the head.
One of the most interesting weapons is
the talbong. a sort OF headsman's AK 1t
is from four to five feet long and weighs
from four to eight pounds. Companies
using these weapons act an advance
guard. The weapons are also used by the
official headsmen in decapitating criminals.
The chief use of the talibong, from which
1t got its name was to sever the head of
the victim fallen in battle.
During the continuous warfare between
the Moros and the Spaniards the Moro
army was armed almost exclusively with
bolos There Is peace between the Moros
and the Americans. In the north of the
archipelago a form of bolo is used as an
agricultural instrument, for the gathering
and harvesting of crops.