Americans. It is half knife, half cleaver, and is carried by the peasants
for general use upon the plantations. It makes a formidable weapon, but
is, of course, not so valuable as a rifle would be.

General Gomez said that if his men were only well armed, he would give
battle to Weyler, and would without doubt beat him. He declared that he
could raise seventy-five thousand men in a month, if he only had the
means of arming them.

He spoke in a most determined way about the proposed reforms, and repeated
that he would take nothing from Spain but freedom. He went on to say that
the hatred of Spain was now so strong in Cuban hearts, that were the
revolution to fail, he was sure that a large majority of Cubans would
leave their homes, and go and live in a foreign country, rather than
continue under the hated rule of Spain.

He was asked what he thought about the way the United States was treating
Cuba.

This was rather a difficult question for him to answer, because he was
talking to an American; but General Gomez is a brave man, and a sincere
man, and he was not afraid to give his real opinion.

He said, that while he did not think that the United States was allied
with Spain to bring about the defeat of the Cubans, he thought the refusal
to recognize the Cuban government, and the assistance given to Spain to
stop filibustering, looked very much as if the United States was more
friendly to Spain than to Cuba.

This being the case, he said it was out of the question for the Cuban