Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1898-09-22
RACESIN PHILIPPINES
THE OLDEST ARE TRIBES OF
SAVAGsS.


- ~ PitE Vi tue ldtt H VI VIC EtA w
regarding which but little IS known,
and that little showing that it Is a
people as ignorant as our nation is adj
yanced in civilization For, while Ma
Mia 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
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
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
SohldIt Win IHe 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 de-
cline, and the retention Of their bar
barous ideas and customs.
In appearance these people are so
small as to be properly denominated
IS 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 a vel
low tint. Though some travellers say
they have good figures, there are 9TH
ers who assert that the Negritos' form
Is bowed into ungalnly 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 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 spearing 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
peculiar substance, which induces a
terrible thirst in the animal or person
wounded, and on drinking, death takes
place. The hunter then cuts immedi-
& tNbNiS ava Aiit pot0OINd pdlts ST llltil
the rest of the meat will not be in
/ fected
All efforts to ciyilize the Negritos
/ have so far proven futile and there is
i 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 rest
less under restraint. the man threw
aside his clerical garh, returned to his
i tribe in the mountains and out Herod-
i 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 a
good killing, remaining on that spot
j till the meat Is exhausted Each tribe
numbers about sixty people and Is
headed by a chief, who is usually tbs
Oldest man In the party. With nc
house to care for, they simply gather
about the fire, around which they lie
at night In a circle with the head to.
ward the flames.
1t Is said that their speech is strange
" Hike that of ehirping birds, but tha1
fact may be due to the foreigners igno
rance of their tongue Unlike mos
barbarous races, each man has but on.
i wife, and their manners are remark
ably chaste. When a young man goe,
counting his girl the custom is for he
to literally take to the woods at sun
rise and remain there till sunset. sht
hiding from his sight. II he is skilled
enough to capture the coy maiden
she becomes by this his wife. O.
course. it depends ON the girls owr
taste whether or not she shall b,
found.
Great reverence is paid by these PEG
pie to their dead. and 1t Is their Gus
tom each year to lay on the grave o
a friend a bit of betel nut. while tn
bow and arrows of man are Away
buried with him.
The next most interesting race in
habiting the Philippines is the Mala,
nation known as Tagals, who are M
merous, live In the lowlands on pill
4 dwellings and are semi-ciyilized, beinl
a numerous people and in intercours
with the whites governing the island
They are rather handsome in appear
ance, with round head. low brow, fla
nose. thick lips, dark eyes and com
/ plexion and possess strangely aceu
rate sense or smell. Their usual cos
tune Is shirt worn on the outsid
of linen trousers, and a big straw hat
They have small plantations on whicl
are grown such crops as rice, tobacco