Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-13
LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Habits and Customs of the Inhabi-
tantS.

LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Habits and Customs Of the Inhabi-
tantS.
Few persons appreciate what consider
able possessions Spain still retains in the
East Indies. Not only are the great
Islands of Lucon and Mindanno extreme
ly productive, yielding, for instance, a
species of tobacco not less highly priced
in Asia than is the product of the yuelta
abaJo IN western countries, but it appears
from late census that they now sustain
population larger than that of Mexico,
approaching, in fact, eight millions. A
French traveller, M. Edmond Plauchut,
has recently spent some time among the
comely and high-spirited people which
lnhablt the Philippines, and his notes
communicated to Paris periodical pre-
sent some features Of striking interest.
The Iagale, who offers the most per-
feet type of all the races in the archipel-
pelago, is of mean stature and of pale
chocolate color. His eyes slant slig htly
in the Chinese fashion, the ears are small
and set snugly to the head, the cheek
bones salient, but not exagurated, and
the nose and chin small. His hair, in
tensely black, is strong, yet not coarse.
The Tagnale has small feet and hands,
and uses both with marvellous facility,
rarely troubling himself to stoop in order
to pick up any light object that might
be lying on the ground near him. On
one occasion when native servant had
dropped a fork upon the floor M. Plau-
chut saw him pick it up nimbly with his
do
plate. The traveller, thus reminded of
to admonish the Tagale that his prehen-
sile method was no longer practiced by
human beings.
The Indian of the Philippines is very
clearly, and but for habit of betel
chewing, there would be nothing often
sive about him. He loves dress. per-
fumes, pOmatum, satin trousers, shirts
of the finest linen, vanished pumps,
and tall white hat. He always wears
his shirt, however, loose or flying, that
is to say, outside of his trousers, and
nothing can persuade him to renounce
this custom, which is apt to shock the
newly arrived European. Women wear
no undergarment, but content them
selves with a short petticoat, which on
holidays is made of rich, striped silk,
and is frightened over the hips by grey
cOlored woollen belt. A shawl of some
transparent tissue, rolled about the
shoulders completes the costume. We
should add that all wear slippers of black
velvet embroidered, or covered with
gold beads; but these are cut so low that
women hold them on by grasping them
! hot hoI ho +oo
outside. An amulet, more or less costly,
the hands are loaded with rings.
M. Plachut tells us that the Tagale
women are admirably shaped, the bosom,
which no corset ever cramps, and which
is perfectly visible beneath the gauze
mantle, being firm and richly developed.
In both sexes, however, the skin, though
extremely soft, is defaced by curious
stains, in form not unlike the islands and
continents that figure on map, and in
hue either white or of a straw color
These marks have been ascribed to an
impOverishment of the blood, through
unsubstantial nourishment, composed
mainly of a rice and fish diet; but this
explanation will not satisfy some physi
clans. 1t is to be noted that the men are
much less robust than the other sex, no
doubt because the latter does most of the
hard labor. While the husband, SQUAT
ting on his launches, is watching cock
fight and inhaling cigarette, his wife
and daughters are driving the buffalo be-
fore the plough, reaping and threshing
rice, or toiling from morning till night
in the fabrication of cigars Yet the
male Tagale, while not muscular, makes
an excellent soldier, as was proved dur
ing the French conquest of Cochin
China. Of extreme sobriety, and pre-
served from sunstrokes and marsh fevers
by the habit of living in the OPEN air and
among the rice swamps; endowed more
ever with a courage which word in
flames these islanders compelled the re-
spect of the French sailors. Although |
he allows her to do more than her share
of work, the Indian is devoted to his fe-
male companion, and in order to secure
particular wife will serve her parents, as
Jacob served Laban, for many years.
We may here mention that after mar
riage, which takes place at the age of ten
or twelve, the Tagale women rapidly lose
their attractions, are quite blghted at
twenty, while at forty decrepitude sets
in. Even i'm old age, however, they keep
three violent passions, namely betel
chewing, cigar smoking, and the parade
of their jewels in the frequent process
sions.
The natives of the Philippines live in
houses, walled with bamboo rods, and
rooted with palm leaves. These dwell
ing, usually encireled by banana p4anta-
tions, are raised on poles some four feet
above the ground, like the structures of
the lacustrine spoch. You enter by
kind of ladder, and underneath the floor
are placed the implements Of tillage;
here, too, is the refuge of the pigs and
poultry. AS a rule these Tagale habita-
tions have a small ante-chamben, two
rooms and kitchen separated from the
main house, but reached by bamboo
bridge One of these chambers, is the
eating room, the other serves as a sitting
room by day, and for dormitory at night.
Il II