Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-08-26
WILD FILIPINO TRIBES.
UNcIvlLlZED INDIANS OCCUPY THE
ISLANDS MlNDoRo AND PALAWAN.


They Number Some Three or Four Hun
drcd Thousand and Belong to Fifty DIFF
ferent Tribes--The Miserable Existence
They Lead-strange Habits and Customs.
The uncivilized Indian tribes occupy
much Of the interior and mountainous
parts Of all the large islands Of the
Philippine group, except Cebu and
Bohol, in which they have either been
Christianized aud merged with the
civilized Indians or have been driven
out. They still occupy nearly all the
territory Of the great islands of Min.
doro and Palawan. They number, ac-
cording to Spanish estimates, some
three or four hundred thousand, be.
longing to over fifty different tribes.
They are shut off from the sea and
means OF communicating with one an
other and the outside world by the
civilized Indians about them, and
probably remain in much the same
condition of sayagery as when first
observed by the Spanish.
= 1t has been contrary TO Spanish pol
, icy in the Philippines to subdue them
by force, and, as they have usually re-
NAMED at peace with their more pow
erful and better armed Christian
neighbors, they still continue to exist
beside them.
Like the civilized Indians. the
''Filipino's" are brown in color, with
coarse, straight, black hair and little
beard. They seem to be somewhat
smaller and slighter of figure than
their Christian neighbors.
Their languages show close kinship
to those Of the civilized tribes adjacent
and also as close to those Of the saw
ages of Formosa. Few of the tribes
possess lands fit for the cultivation Of
lowland rices, and fewer still have the
necessary skill and implements and
pillow beasts (buffaloes) for cultivating
such lands. Their recourse is the
common one Of sayages nearly the
world round--they cut off small por-
tions OF the forest during the dry sea-
son, and after burning this over, they
plant, at the beginning Of the rainy
season, upland rice, maize, sweet po-
tatoes, etc., among the blackened logs
and stumps. The supply of food thus
gained is usually insufficient, and after
it is eaten up they lead a miserable
existence, securing the woods for
game and wild fruit and going to the
sea beach wherever they can reach It
for shell fish and other food. Their
method Of cultivation compels contin-
ual change OF place. Their little patch
es OF cleared forest can only be cul-
tivated in their rude way for one or
two years, when they are abandoned
and new pieces of forest chosen.
Their houses are usually built after
the plan OF those Of the civilized In
dams "a basketlike structure OF BAN
boo and palm leaves raised upon posts
above the ground. but they are not so
we'll built aud are occupied but for a
few years. They are not built into
compact villages, but few scattered
houses are formed without streets, but
near enough to be within call. Nee
essarily, what can be said of such q
multitude Of detached tribes in regard
to their clothing, arms, religion, ETC.,
must be of the most general character.
Their clothing usually consists sole
ly of the taparabo, or breech dout, all
else generally being in the nature of
ornament. and consisting of beads
about the neck and head and arms,
and anklets or leglets of boar's bris-
ties, and frequently with bright col
ored pearl shells hanging upon the
back OF breast. The Spanish author
tiles do not allow the savages to enter
the towns in their ordinary state Of
nakedness. They frequently blacken
the teeth and in some cases file them
to point.
Some tribes wear q stiff, round hat
similar to the salacot of the civilized
Indians; other tribes wear a turban
or go bareheaded. Tattooing is COM
mon among them, but varies with
each tribe.
Their arms are large knife or cut
lass carried in scabbard, this serv-
ing for an AK and hoe as we'll as a
weapon of war. In addition to this
they carry lance or spear, and some
tribes are armed with bows and ar
rows. The more warlike tribes have
shields OF various forms.
Some of the wilder tribes of North
Luzon are said still to hunt the heads
of their enemies with which to orna-
ment their dwellings, like the head
hunting savages of Formosa, and the
Dyaks of Borneo, but the tribes in
contact with the Christian Indians
content themselves with hanging the
skulls of monkeys, deer, wild boars
and bufaloes about their doors.
They all seem to have some idea of
great spirit who rules over the
affairs of men. They also recog-
-. -