Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-22
living and dreaming. They have Inn
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a house-and there are a multitude OF
cases of parents having Fifteen and eigh-
teen boys end girls. Every family mas us
own house but s. win build a large ana
superior bamboo hut. and 81 will make
better domicile than thousands OF the 30
Gals own. The whole family. no matter
how numerous. Is crowded INTO one room
at night. the sleepers reclining on heaps
OF dried banana leaves. Strange to say.
the women are claaniy people. They
battle every day. ami are expert swim
mers. They are proud Of their teeth. anu
take pains TO Frequently polish them with
rude brushes made OF the areca-tree. The
poorer people have no other cooking uten-
sis than an earthen pot, ara the nrisiG-
Gratis have "a few cast-iron pans ana big,
rough, eartheu dishe..
The substitute for cotton and wo0llen
goods is called mouf'a CLOTH and II IS
made from the moufIla plant. which Is
species OF hemp. The fibre Of this plant
IL coarse, stiff. and not ut all pliabe. II
f. the white, inner surface Of the long,
thin shoots that is used. The natives pull
the fibre out, wet the finger, and twist
the thread. which. as consequence. IS
uneven. ard full of little lunches. Very
little mouflia cloth IA exported from the
island az Il has an extensive domestic
use. II takes an industrious woman
several weeks 10 make a strip Of mouflla
cloth ten feet long and three feet wide
Flax being almost unknown on the
islands, the only other material for cloth
Is silk. The Philippine forests are full Of
mulberries. and silk was woven long be-
fore white men came to the islands Some
OF the Philippine silk is as fine as the
finest China silk Much Of IT is elaborate
Is brocdded. al hough the process
requires an immense amount Of
time. as the threads which form
the pattern have 10 be tied up each time
separately. The nGmbila. a square piece
Of brocaded silk, forms the principal gar
ment OF the richer natives on the
smaller islands This Is six feet wide
by seven feet long. and requires about
seventeen months for its manufacture
\ Philippine weaver takes her child on
her back and weaves for half an hour
then she goes down TO the stream and
draws a jug Of water or down to the
seashore for a swim In the surf. After
weaving few minutes more. she again
goes to the brook or the shore. and washes
out some single article OF clothing, never
washing more than one garment at
time 50 that during the day she probably
puts in about & hours at the loom
The whole Philippine Archipelago is the
smokers paradise. Quantities Of tobacco
of the finest iiavors grow In tropic luXu-
riance on The uplands, and every one Is
an adept at smoking Boys and girls OF 10
use the weed hourly. and roll their own
cigars with the defines OF their parents.
II IL common sight to see In the streets
Of Manila father and mother sauntering
along with enormous cigars In their
mouths. and followed by five or six chill
dren. varying IN ages from 10 20 ~, all
smoking. vt the little theatre in Manila.
where few performances are given In
each winter season. every one smokes
and the roof is so arranged that the
smoky air can pass quickly away. In
every home, whether In the country or in
the heart Of Manila. there are always
heaps OF dried tobacco leaves. tied in
punches. upon the door or in shed near
the house. and the provident Tagal lays
in a stock OF tobacco for household pur-
poses several times a year "a carefully
a. the American does ths family supply
Of potatoes or -four. Strange a. it may
seem. very little tobacco IS exported. and
the reason given is that the Spanish for
their own reasons have discouraged and
ruined the expectation Of the weed.
The natives OF the Philippine Islands
have a natural love for strong intOXi-
cants. particularly whiskey. ana II their
process Of manufacturing 1t were not 80
terribly SLOW they would 81 be hard
drinkers. As II ls they drink all they
cen got. legal whiskey Is made from
the juice ~ the sugar-cane fermented ana
distilled. The Juice Is extracted by
pounding the cane over a piece OF log and
allowing the Juice to fan into a trough.
when the cane is broken into fine pieces
water is poured over IL. and 1t IS allowed
10 stand i'm the sun until il ferments.
Then II Is ready FOR the ingenious ma
tive process OF distiilati0n. -Four gallon
water-iugs are set on the ground "a close
pc their huging sides viii permit. Earth
is covered over the upper part and falls
down part way. whore il IL stopped by
the bulCing jugs. thus leaving an open
space underneath around the bottoms Of
the jugs. The heat from the furnace
passes through this opening. and boils
the f,rmenied juice with which the yes
sells or. filled. The steam passes out
through pieces Of hollow bamboo and.
still in bamboo pipes. Il * introduced into
q hollow Log standing on end. Water
from the creek flows through this log
over the cells Of bamboo, which contain
the steam. which quickly condensos and
falls into o large Jug set 10 catch II.
while the thursty natives wait around
and fumo at the slow process Certainly
the whiskey IL pure. and the missionaries
say il is healthy and. queerly enough. dp
not object TO thc natives use Of n. They
probably consider II wise 90 consent TO
what they cannot prevent On account
Of Ire purity the whiskey never de-
ranges the stomach. bur quart Of II in
toXicqtas quickly and thoroughly.
Nearly every traveller in the Philip
pines finds much interest I'm the prodgi-
Gus growth of flowers There are over
thirty varieties OF orchids In the forests,
anl dozens OF lilies OF mammoth proper
tons that are never seen outside of the
tropics The Nalapo lily Is the largest.
It, leaves are often feet long and ,
feet wide. while it, stems are inches
in diameter. II is in bloom five months
in the year. and its blossoms are as large
as "A peck measure. Carnations grow I'm
phenomenal variety an over the rural
districts. and frequently cover an acre
or more, while geranums. whose luxuri-
ance excites eXclamatiOrs Of surprise from
nearly every behoder for the firsf time,
grow Ike trees and great clumps Of BUSH
IS. Garaniums that have grown up the
trunk and along the limbs Of immense
forest trees are to be- seen frequently
The lazy. indiff rent natives seldom touch
them. and they grow on and on for
years Along tho rural roads there ara
everywhere Wild poppies Of the most DELI
cate yellow flowers and large stems. From
the trees in the forests there are hun
dredS OF vines and parasites OF the mosi
brilliant blossoms, and in the spring sea-
son the air all over the several islands
IA for time fairly heavy with floral
fragrance. Both the Tagals and the Be-
Gals have no taste for the superb fora
OF the Philippines. and one seldom sees
any sort OF a flower or vine cultivated
az the home Of a native. The tropical
luNurance sometimes causes a beautiful
wild geranium or species Of chrysanthe-
mum to spring up at the side Of a bam-
boo home. and, because the natives ara
too lazy to DO what is not absolutely ne
cessary to comfort or life 1t viii not be-
torn up or m0lested.
Found the Missing Word.
Courier JournalD