The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-09-03
WILD FILIPINO TRIBES.
uNCIVILIZED INDIANS OCCUPY THE
ISLANDS MlNDoRO AND PALAWAN.

drsd Thousand and Belong to Fifty Di
ferent Tribes-The Miserable ExistenC
They Lead-Strange Habits and Custom
The uncivilized Indian tribes occup
much of the interior aud mountainou
parts Of all the large islands of tn
Philippine group, except Cebu an
Bohol, in which they have either bee
Christianized and merged with tn
civilized Indians or have been drive
out. They still occupy nearly all tn
territory of the great islands of Min
doro and Palawan. They number, &C
cording to Spanish estimates, SOM
three or four hundred thousand, be
longing to over fifty different tribes
They are shut off from the sea ant
means of communicating with one an
other and the outside world by tn,
civilized Indians about them, ant
probably remain in much the same
condition of savagery as when frs
observed by the Spanish.
1t has been contrary to Spanish pol
icy in the Philippines to subdue then
by force, and, as they have usually re
manned at peace with their more pow.
erful and better armed Christian
neighbors, they still continue to exist
beside them.
Like the civilized Indians, the
"Filipino's" are brown in color, with
coarse, straight, black hair and little
beard. They seem to be somewhat
smaller and slighter of figure than
their Christian neighbors.
Their languages show close kinship
to those of the civilized tribes adjacent
and also as close to those of the saw
ages of Formosa. Few of the tribes
possess lands fit for the cultivation of
lowland rices, and fewer still have the
necessary skill and implements and
pillow beasts (buffaloes) for cultivating
such lands. Their recourse is the
common one of savages nearly the
world round-they cut off small por-
lions of the forest during the dry sea-
son, and after burning this over, they
plant, at the beginning of the rainy
season, upland rice, maize, sweet po-
tatoes, etc, among the blackened logs
and stumps. The supply of food thus
gained is usually insufficient, and after
it is eaten up they lead miserable
existence, securing the woods for
game and wild fruit and going to the
sea beach wherever they can reach it
for shell fish and other food. Their
method of cultivation compels contin-
ual change of place Their little patch
es of cleared forest can only be Gull
tivated in their rude way for one or
two years, when they are abandoned
and new pieces of forest chosen.
Their houses are usually built after
the plan of those of the civilized In
dams "a basketlike structure of BAN
boo and palm leaves raised upon posts
above the ground, but they are not so
we'll built and are occupied but for
few years. They are not built into
compact villages, but few scattered
houses are formed without streets, but
near enough to be within call. Nee
essarily, what can be said of such q
multitude of detached tribes in regard
to their clothing, arms, religion, ETC.,
must be of the most general character.
Their clothing usually con sists sole.
ly of the ta0arabo, OF breech clout. all
else generally being in the nature of
ornament, and consisting of beads
about the neck and head and arms,
and anklets or leglets of boar's bris
ties, and frequently with bright col
ored pearl shells hanging upon the
back OF breast. The Spanish author
tiles do not allow the savages to enter
the towns in their ordinary state of
nakedness, They frequently blacken
the teeth and in some cases file them
to point.
Some tribes wear a stiff, round hat
similar to the salacot of the civilized
Indians; other tribes wear turban
or go bareheaded. Tattooing is COM
mon among them, but varies with
each tribe.
Their arms are large knife or cut
lass carried in scabbard, this sery-
ing for an ak and hoe as we'll as a
weapon of war. In addition to this
they carry a lance or spear, and some
tribes are armed with bows and ar
rows. The more warlike tribes have
shields of various forms.
Some of the wilder tribes of North
lauzon are said still to hunt the heads
Of their enemies with which to orna-
nent their dwellings,, like the head
lunting savages of Formosa, and the
Dyaks of Borneo, but the tribes in
contact with the Christian Indians
content themselves with hanging the
skulls Of monkeys, deer, wild boars
md butfaloes about their doors.
They all seem to have some idea of