Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-09-23
RACES IN PHILIPPINES
THE OLDEST ARE TRIBES OF
SAvAOES.
Dwarfs Known as Negritos SD Descendants
of Ancient fnhsbitants--The Most
Civilized Are the Tssais, of Which
-=uinnIdo Ii tho Leader.

taken into our fold. at least tempo
rarily. one OF the races OF the earth
regarding which but little is known.
and that little showing that 1t is a
| people as ignorant as our nation Is adj
vanced in civilization. For, while Ma
pila has population composed of
whites largely, there Is a vast extent
OF surrounding land almost unexplored.
The few travellers. however, who have
penetrated the country give most in
teresting descriptions of the natives
peoplng 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 denotilg the tint of the
persons to whom reference Is made.
When Magellan discovered the islands,
In March. 1921. these people composed
large part OF the population in what
was called by him the Island OF ST.
Lazarus. But at present they have
dwindled till there are but $4,000 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 bar
barous 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 stand
ing only little over four feet high.
They are brown as to complexion, with
rather good features, broad. fiat noses,
woolly hair. worn in a mop around
the head, while their eyes have yell
low tint Though some travellers say
they have good figures. there are 9TH
ers who assert that the Negrltos' form
Is bowed into ungainly curves.
The dress of the Negritos is not
Partisan in 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 savage nations. Their
manner of smoking is to place the
lighted end of the cigar between the
teeth. A popularity 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 in spearlng from their light ca
noes; honey in 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 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
terrible 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 ciyilize 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 a
young man of the tribe Growing rest
less under restraint the man threw
aside his clerical sarb. returned to his
tribe In the mountains and out-Herod |
ed 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 \
good killing. remaining on that SPOT /
tn the meat Is exhausted. Each tribe I
numbers about sixty people and is
beaded by a chief, Who Is usually the I
Oldest man in the party. With no
house to care for they simply gather
about the Ere around which they lie
at night in a circle, with the head to-
ward The fames
Il Is said that their speech is strange
ly 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 remark
ably chaste When a young man goes
counting 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