The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-09-07
RACES OF THE PHILIPPINES.
The Odds.s Are Tribes of savagss.


in the hands Of Uncle Sam, 1t occurs to
the average American that We have
taken into our field. at least tempora-
rily, one Of the races Of the earth re
garding which but little Is known. and
that little showing that it is people as
ignorant as cur nation is advanced in
civilization. For, while Manila has a
population composed of whites largely,
there is a vast extent Of surrounding
land almost unexplored. The few trav-
elers, however, who have penetrated
the country, give most interesting des-
criptions 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 meaning
black, thus denoting the tint Of the
persons to whom reference Is made.
When Magellan discovered the islands,
in March, 1921, these people composed
a large part of the population il what
was called by him the Island Of St
Lazarus. But at present they have
dwindled till there are but 3 900 left,
these mainly residing in three prov
inces, and hiding 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 continual warfare, to
which strife is due their gradual de-
cline, and the retention of their barba-
rous ideas and customs.
In appearance these people are 50
small as TO be properly denominated as
dwarfs, for they are quite as petite as
the tribe Of Bosjemans of Africa, stand
ing only little over four feet high.
They are brown as to complexion, with
rather good features, broad, fiat noses,
wooIly hair, worn in mop around the
head, while their eyes have yellow
tint. Though some travellers say they
have good figures, there are others who
assert that the Negrito's form is bowed
into ungainly curves
The dress of the Negritos is not Par
isian is style, but is admirably adapted
to warm climate, consisting mainly
of sort of fringe of plated bark worn
around the waist, while the brown skin
is tattooed, as we find amongst all saw
age nations. Their manner Of smoking
is to place the lighted end Of the cigar
between the teeth. A peculiarity of the
race is their wonderful dexterity with
their toes, being able with these MEM
bers to perform many acts commonly
left to the hands
Being a wild people, there is no at
tempt made Mt agriculture, bat they
live on game, fish, which they are ex-
pert in spearing from their light canoes;
honey la the forests. wild fruits, which
grow abundantly 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
aud arrow, girls being quite as prof.
cient as the boys in this accomplish
ment. Their method Of hunting is to
poison the tips of the arrows with pc
culiar substance, which induces ter
rible thirst in the animal OF person
wounded, and on drinking, death takes
place. The hunter then cuts immeai-
ately away the poisoned part, so that
the rest of the meat viii not be in
fected.
All efforts TO civilizs the Negritos
have so far proven futile, and there is a
good story told on former Bishop of
Manila, who had taken in charge and
educated for the priesthood young
man OF The tribe. Growing restless
under restraint, the man threw aside
his clerical garb, returned to his tri be
In the mountains and Out-Heroded
HerOd in his savage ways. Having
no horses, they wander about on foot,
camping in the forests where game
abounds, and when they have made a
good killing, remaining on that spot till
the me at Is exhausted. Each tribe num-
bers about sixty people and Is headed
by chief, who is usually the Oldest
man in the party. With no house to
care for, they simply gather about the
fire, around which they lie at night
in circle, with the head toward the
flames.
It's said that their speech is strangely
like that of chirping birds, but that
fact may be due to the foreigners igno-
rance of their tongue. Unlike most
barbarous races, each man has but one
wife, and their manners are remarka-
bly, chaste. When young man goes
courting his girl, the custom is for her
to literally "take to the woods at sun
rise and remain there till sunset, she
hiding from his sight. II he is skilled
enough to capture the coy maiden, she
becomes by this his wife. OF Ofcourse, it
depends on the girls own taste whether
or not she shall be found.
Great reverence is paid by these peo-
pie to their dead, and 1t is their custom
each year to lay on the grave Of friend
a bit of betei nut, while the bow and
arrows of a man ar always buried with
him.
The next most interesting race inhab
iting the Philippines is the Malay na-
ton, known as Tagals, who are numer-
Gus, live in the lowiands on pile dwell
ings, aud are semi-civilized, being nu-
merous people and in intercourse with
the whites governing the island. They
are rather handsome in appearance,
with round head, low brow, fiat nose,
thick lips, dark eyes and complexion,
and possess strangely accurate sense
of smell. Their usual costume is a shirt
worn ON the outside of linen trousers,
aud big straw hat They have small
plantations on which are grown such
crops as rice, tobacco, sugar, coffee,
mangoes, potatoes and hemp, the latter
staple being one Of the largest exports
Of the island.
These Tagals are kind and generous
race, bat make fierce soldiers. They
ora cary fond of rich dress of candy