The National tribune., 1898-07-14

IN THE
PHILIPPINES
BY PAUL P DE LA GIRONIERE,
Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

very pleased; here is funeral / did
not tell you anything about these cere-
monies; but you will Judge for yourself OF
what they are. 1t will be time enough
to morrow. You must be tired will
take you to my day-cabin and you may
repoSe yourself without any danger of the
Guinans, for funeral compcls a great
many people To be on the watch all night.
l accepted the offer made To- me, and
we took possession OF the Tinguian cabin.
Ii was my turn to take the first watch.
ana my poor AIIa, a little more at his
ease, fell into Il sound sleep. | followed
his example, after my watch, and we did
not wake up until it was broad daylight.
We had scarcely finished our morning
repast, composed Of kidney potatoes,
palms, and dried venison, when my guide
OF the preceding day came to conduct me
to the spot where the funeral OF the de
ceased was about to take place. fol-
| lowed him, and placing ourselves few
steps from the cortege we assisted at Il
strange sight.
The deceased sat in the middle of his
| cabin upon a stool; underneath him, and
at his side, fires were burning in enor-
nous chatting dishes: at a short distance
about 30 assistants were seated in q circle
Ten or II women formed another circle;
they were seated nearer to the corpse,
close by which the widow was also placed
and who was distinguished by a white
vail, that covered her from head to foot
From time to time one of the Tinguians
spoke, and pronounced, in a slow, har-
monious tone Of voice, speech, which
he concluded by sort of laugh. that was
initiated by all the assistants; after which
they stood up. ate some pieces of dried
meat, and drank some basi; they then
repeated the last words OF the orator, and
danced.
| endured-such is the word-this sight
Tor an hour; but did not feel courage
Ian L
My guide followed me out, and | begged
him to tell me what had occurred from the
beginning of the illness of the deceased.
When DalayapO," said the narrator
fell sick, they took him to the grand
square, to- apply severe remedies to him;
that is to say, all the men of the village
came in arms, and tO he sound of the
gong and the tOm-tOm, they danced
around the sick man from the rising to
the setting OF the sun. But this grand
remedy had no cffcct-his illness was
incurablc. At the setting of the sun they
placed our friend in his house, and no
more heed was paid to him; his death
was certain, as he would not dance with
his fellow -cOuntrymen.
l smiled at the remedy and the reason
ing, but did not interrupt the narrator.
For two days DalayapO was in a state
Of suffering; then, at the end of those two
days, he breathed no more: and, when
him on the bench where we saw him Just
now. Then the provisions that he pos
SeSSed were gathered together to feed the
assistants. who paid him all due hOnOrs.
Each one made speech in his praise;
his nearest relations began the first, and
his body was surrounded with fire to dry
it up.
when the provisions are consumed,
the strangers will leave the cabin, andl
only the widow and a few relations Will
wait until the body is thOughly dried or
In fortnight time he will be placed in
large hole that will be dug under his house.
He will be put in niche, or aperture In
the wall. where already his deceased re-
latives' remains are deposited, and then all
is over"
This hole, thought I, must be similar to
the one l went into the other night at
Laganguilan.
The explanation that had just received
completely satifised me, and did not re-
quest to be present again at the cere
mOny | resolved, since l was very COM
fortably seated, under the shade of d
balete, upon availing myself OF the Oblig-
ing disposition of my guide, to ask him to
inform me- suddenly changing the con-
versation all the while how his tribe
managed to wage war on the GuinanS,
their mortal enemies.
"The GuinanS," said he to me, without
drawing in any. way on my patience,
wear the same arms as we 10 Iney
are neither stronger, nor more skillful, nor
more vigorous. We have two nodes OF
fighting them. Sometimes We give them
a grand battle at mid day, and then We
meet them face to face, under burning
sun; at other times, during some dark
night, we creep in silence TO their dwell
ing places, and If we be able to surprise
any of them we cut off their heads, which
we take away with us, and then we get
up feast, such as you have already
witnessed"
That word feast recalled to my mind
the Sanguinary orgie, or carousing, had
been present at, and particularly the
share | had taken in it, so that | felt
was blushing and growing pale by turns.
The Indian took no heed Of it, and went
on thus:
"In the grand battles all the men be-
longing to a village are compelled to take
up arms, and to march against the foe.
|. is generally in the midst of a wood that
the two armies meet. AS soon as they
come in sight of each other they set up
crying and hOwling on both sides. Each
man then rusheS upon his enemy, and
upon this shock depends the fate of the
victory; for one of the armies is always
panic-struck, and scampers away; then it
is that the other pursues it, and Kills as
many as possible, taking care to preserve
the heads, which they bring home with
them" lit is on account OF this cruel
custom of beheading their victims that
the Spaniards have given to these saw
ages the name of "cOrta cabesas"-"de-
capitators.