The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-19
THE PHILIPPINES RACES
The oldest of These Are Tribes
of Savages.
ARE KNOWN AS NEGRlTOS
Descendants OF ncien Inhabitants The
Most Civiliz ID Are the Tagals. OF
Which Agulnaldo Is the Leader in
the Revolt Against Spain.

Now that the Philippine Stands are
in the lands Of Uncle Sam. II occurs to
the average American tina we have
taken into our fold. at least temporar-
lily. one of h races of the earth re-
garding which but little is known, and
that little showing thai il is a people
as ignorant as our nation Is advanced
In civilization. For. while Manila has
a population composed OF whites large
ly, there is a vast extent of surround
ing land almost UNEMPLOYED. The few
travellers. however. who have penetrat-
ed the country give most interesting de-.
scriptions of the natives peopling the
distant mountains and plains.
The strangest and most unique of the
Philippine races is the collection of
tribes called Negritos. which is the
Spanish for negro, that word eaning
black. thus denoting the tint of the per-
sons to whom reference is made. When
Magellan discovered the islands. in
March. 1921. these people composed n
large part of the population in what
was called by him the Island st. Laza-
rus. But at present they have dwindlcd
I'll there are bun 5000 left, these mainly
III IA AAAt0 BloNl i1f6 aih hldAflE
themselves away from contact with the
whites.
In their wild mountain homes these
Negritos. or Agitas. as they are also
called. live pretty much the life they did
hundreds of years ago. Resenting the
approach OF the Spaniard. they have
kept up a continual warfare, TO which
strife is due their gradual decline, and
the retention of their barbarous ideas
and customs.
In appearance these people are so
small as to be properly denominated
as dwarfs. for they are as petite as
the tribe of Bosjemans of Africa,
standing only a little over four feet
high. They are brown as to complex
ion, with rather good features. broad.
fiat noses. woolly hair. worn in n mop
around the head. while their eyes have
a yellow tint. Though some travellers
say they have good figures. there are
others who assert that the Negritos'
form is bowed into ungainly curves.
The dress of the Negritos, Is not
Partisan in style. but is admirably
adapted TO a warm climate, consisting
mainly of a sort OF fringe OF plated
bark worn around the waist. while the
brown skin Is tattooed. as we find
amongst all savage nations. Their
manner of smoking is TO place the
lighted end Of the cigar between their
teeth. A regularity OF the race Is
their wonderful dexterity with their
toes. being able with these members TO
perform many acts commonly left to
the hands.
Being a wild people. there Is no at
tempt made at agriculture. but they
live on game. fish. which they are ex-
pert I'm spearing from their light ca
noes: honey in the forests, wild
fruits. which grow abundantiy in the
tropics: roots. cabbage and palms. The
dog Is their only domestic animal In
the chase they are adopts In the use of
the bow and arrow. girls being quite as
proficient as the boys in this accom-
plishment. Their method OF hunting Is
to poison the tips of the arrows with a
peculiar substance. which induces a ter
rible thirst in the animal or person
wounded. and on drinking. death takes
place. The hunter then cuts immedi-
ately away the poisoned part. SO that
the rest Of the meat will not be in
fected.
All efforts to civilize the Negritos
have so far proven futile and there is
a good story told on a former bishop
OF Manila. who had taken in charge
and educated for the priesthood a young
man OF the tribe Growing restless I'M
der restraint, the man threw aside his
clerical garb. returned TO his tribe in
the mountains and out-Heroded Herod
In his savage ways. Having no horses