The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-21

altacned 10 his bolo as The Cuban is Ia
ms machete. which this weapon much
resembles In plain English bolo is
hhlie' generally huge aud of odd
shape which is universally carried
throughout the islands The native
may be wealthy or poverty stricken in
the humble walks OF life or occupying
posilloE OF rank. but I'm some form or
olher ne Is sure TO have his knife about
hlin' IL Is 80 well known as 10 have
become nm axiom that the knife using
peoples arc the most treacherous and
turbulent and ready for deeds from
Mhich those OF Saxon or Anglo Saxon
plood would shrink with abhorrence
me flllpinos are knife carrying peo-
PIE whether they live in Luzon OF Min
uoIo' IN Sulu OF Samar. but the center
ana original home % the bolo is said TO
oe the island OF Mindanao, where there
are several native establishments for
It's manufactures
me piade OF the bolo Is usually ham,
hered out OF piece OF steel in the most
pilhltlVe manner, and the handle made
| from the norm OF the earabao. or native
punalo. 1t may be used as an agricuI-
sural instrument, like the machete in
opahish America, where every laborer
70 equipped with one as ia the Philip
pines every tiller OF the soil aud every
warrior carries a bolo II may be
erudeiy made or painfully forged by
mana iniaid with gold and its hilt
| ADORNED with pearls but il Is an eflec-
| i've weapon IN the hands of the Fill
pinos' especially OF the famed Samar
oo4omen' who have become skilled by
long practice and WELD IL with terrible
: effect
TWO thousand bolomen surrendered
IN body last December and took the
oath amid great enthusiasm on the
part OF themselves and friends and vo-
Sherous cheers Tor los Estados Uni
aos' out u was not long. the authorities
say before most OF them were back
again at their old business of ham
sttinging and disemboweling our SOL
diers. Though the Filipinos have been
accustomed TO run at the first charges OF
our troops. yet no one accuses them with
lack OF bravery. and usually the long
grass and clumps of bamboos through
which they make their retreats are
swarming with concealed and crouching
boioinen waiting for a chance at close
quarters. Incredible as IL may seem.
they are said to be generally more than
a match Tor rifles and bayonets and Of
ten succeed in getting i'm their deadly
slanting blows across the abdomen
which at once disable their enemies
The bolomen can only be handled
safely at long range On the occasion
when Aguinaldo brought down his
hordes OF Igorrotes from the mountains
TO attack our troops in the early part
OF the war the ignorant cannibals, most
OF them nearly naked and armed only
with their spears and bolos advanced
TO the attack. but were moved down by
hundreds-some say by thousa nds--
when the rifles and Gatlings got i'm
their deadly work. and the survivors
fed TO the mountains.
There are many variations OF the
bolo. such as the campilan, which is
about -four feet long and carried be-
tween two pieces Of wood tied together
by string, in order that IL may be
used without being Withdrawn from the |
scabbard. The talibopg is sort of |
meat AK used for slicing off the heads |
of criminals and prisoners; the borong, |
favorite weapon of the Moros, Is |
short and heavy; the sundang is car |
ried by Filipinos in the ranks, while !
the kris, or creese. is affected by The |
officers. This latter Is two or three |
feet long. with "A blade serpentine in \
outline and artistiealiy superior TO all |
other Malay weapons. II also inficts |