62 BULLETIN 13V, UNITED-ESTATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



unable to procure other more modern weapons, but found to the con- 

 trary that the blowgun was the most effective weapon under the cir- 

 cumstances. The Moros also still employ the blowgun. Col. Frank 

 H. Hilder brought several blowguns from the island of Jolo which 

 were made of wood and w^rappecl with split rattan. The blowguns 

 brought back to the United States by Mrs. Florence G. Miller from 

 the island of Palawan are mostly made from bamboo and are beauti- 

 fully decorated with a surface decoration of burned rings. One of 

 these weapons has attached at its muzzle an iron spearhead. The 

 employment of such combination projectile and close-contact weap- 

 ons by the Batak of Palawan is not unusual. Cat. No. 32G032. 

 U.S.N.M. »Gen. Jacob Kline, United States Army, presented to 

 the Museum a blowgun made of two hollowed pieces of wood joined 

 and wrapped with fine cord. A peculiarity not found in any of the 

 other tubes is in the mouthpieces of pewter. Cat. No. 313960, 

 U.S.N.M. 



While most of the darts are fitted to the lining or walls of the 

 tube by means of conical sections of pith, other material is used in 

 the long darts collected by Capt. J. R. Harris in the Cotobato Valley 

 in 1904. These darts have wrapping of native tree cotton covering 

 the posterior half of dart similar to the darts made by the South 

 American Indians. The head is tipped with an iron point having 

 one barb. 



Length of dart, 55 centimeters (21.6 inches). Cat. No. 283002, 

 U.S.N.M. 



METALLIC HAND WEAPONS FOR CUTTING AND PIERCING: THE 

 PARANG, THE BOLO, AND THE DAGGER 



Distinction hetween the farang and the holo. — In classifying 

 swords and metal blades employed hy the Filipino it is necessary to 

 distinguish between the fine blades " parang " of many varieties of 

 use and intricacy of design made by the Moro and the combination 

 implement-weapon or bolo in general use among the northern civil- 

 ized Filipino tribes in Luzon and in the Visayan Islands. The bolo 

 is a combination weapon and tool, usually unornamented as to blade 

 or handle and has but one cutting edge, widening rapidly in section 

 toward the back. The distal end of blade is usually abruptly trun- 

 cated, though a pointed bolo resembling the leaf-shaped parang is 

 employed among certain tribes as a weapon of personal defense for 

 thrusting as well as slashing. Sporadic efforts were made by the 

 Spaniards to enforce a law compelling the natives to break off the 

 points of their bolos, consequently bolos with truncated distal end 

 are frequently found among the older collections of Philippine 

 weapons. 



