The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-21

These Islands May Be Considered Lotus
Eating Utopia.
st. Louis Republic.

"nlcn state u Is nOugnC U! 'nt OH'f
rse, it is placed in small shell, al"
after being covered with han"ful o:
charcoal, placed in a rotshr'd. W"
man blows through a narrow bam""
cane on the Goals, and ina minute tl'
work is done. AS general rule fai
ure in most mining speculatinns is II.
doubt due to the uuwillinpn->s f tn.
natives to co operate with Enropeal
ca pitalis,s, aud in this they find en
enlargement from the fliar who az.
averse TO innovation of any kind.
| The native, too, in rural districts VII
not submit to constant, organized al d
me,hndical labor at daily wage t" e
paid iodically when he has iuish.,
his work.
Cock fighting is the national pa
time, indeed the passion for it ma.
vel. be termed national vice. IT,
credulously large sums are bet on ,h.
result Of the game. 1t leads man!
men to borrow money at usury, t.
theft, and frequently to murder; ah'
the worst characters in the island, ar
ruined cockfghtars. The sport is ex
tremtly rtpul-ive; each bird is arm' d
with a sharp curved spur, 3 ipch' 8
long, which always causes the death
Of one or both birds by the wounds II
ibAicts. If cock shows signs "f fear
and decliues the encounter it is pluck
I'd alive. Nearly every native owns a,
lighting cock, mauy are never seen "u'
Of doors without their pets in their
arms, and upon these creatures they
heap the tenderest care>ses. Cases
have been known of natives having
fed from their burning huts taking
care ,o.save their fighting cocks, bu'
leaving their wives aud children t."
look after themselves. Dancing Is
also much INDUCED in. The chief
dance is called the Balitao. A man
and woman stand vis.a-vis and
alternately ling love ditty. The
theme usually opens with the regr' t
of the young man that his amor"ns
overtures have been disregarded. TX
plantations follow i'll the poetic diso-
que, ss the parties dance around each
other keeping a slow step to the most
paintiye strains of music, then ray
of j"y seems to tighten them, their
steps aud actions Of body and arms
energe,ically quicken, until att brisk
pace he dance finishes.
The Tagal women, the most beauti-
full of the natives, are very graceful,
with large dark eyes and white even
teeth, aud luxuriant black hair, which
is not coarse. Yuu seldom see a wo-
man who has not hair below her kuee..
Their dress consists of flowing
skirt Of gay colors and Stapis
lightly drawn around the figure aud "a
low chemisette with immensely wide
short sleeves. The better classes
wear square neckcloth made of
sspina, most beautifully embroidrr-
ed; on their naked feet they have EN-
broidered slippers Of SO small "a size
that their little toes protrude for want
Of room aud grasp the outside Of the
sandal. The men wear white coats
aud trousers, with shirt Of pima
that is, the fine fabric made Of the
pineapple leaf-worn outside. Cloth
made Of hemp composes the dress Of
the men Of the poorer classes. An
English hat is great possession for
this class. If man is the happy
owner of one, and it comes on to rain,
he Immediately takes it off and care
fully wraps it up in cloth.
Spanish and Australian horses can
not stand the climate. The horses
used are cross between the email
Andalusian horse and the Chinese
mare. They are swift, strong, sure.
footed and elegant little animals. The
buffalo of Carabao is a most useful
beast for drawing heavy weights for a.
short time, but cannot work more than
two hours together in the sun. Euro
peans cannot ride it, but the natves
and tine Carabao thoroughly under
stand one another.
The jungle abounds with insects
and reptilia-lizards, snakes, scor-
pions, guanas, frogs, centipedes, Ia
rantulas, large spiders, hornets and
cockroaches. Ants are very des,ruc
tive, the worst being the white aut.
There are many species of ants, rang
ing in size from that of pin s head
to an inch in length. Flying ants are
disagreeable, and in the damp under
growth there are leeches. Onc has to
be careful there, as it is known fact
that the leeches have frequently caus