The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-05
Bellies Of Manila.


The native women Of the Philippines
are, as & RUE. excessively pertty and en-
gaging creatures with supple figures &C
centuaIed ~ the thinness Of their gar
ments. beautiful. languishing eyes, shaded
with long lashes. and luxuriant blue-0lack
hair. This last is the chief glory Of The
! Philippine beauty.
! 1t Is long rich. thick, made glossy both
| by The care bestowed on IL and its fire.
| quent annointings with cocoanut oil. Oft
en-, too. il is cleaned and washed with
! lemon juice and Oil. which has been made
fragrant by nfusions of odoriferous Aow-
ers. Some Of the women wear IL hanging
down their backs. entirely unadorned. 9TH
ers, especially the matrons, build II up
in a kind of coil, or knot. held by a golden
comb. and ornamented by pins, or very
frequently adorned by a bright, fragrant
flower.
They scorn bonnets or hats, but often
throw a handkerchief over their heads.
and. If the heat OF the sun is very in
tense. carry a parasol for protection.
Another admirable feature nearly ell
the women possess are liquid and Ian
gushing eyes, which are used with tell
ing effect, and their third vanity is their
very finely shaped feet that never know
| a stocking, but which are thrust into slip
pers, without heels. tastefulIy and elab-
orately embroidered with gold or silver
thread.
The walk of the women is graceful,
but rather coquetish. and when the clog
is donned on wet days they move with
very peculiar swing. which is quite dis
tinet from the Japanese totter.
The thumb nail on the right hand is
allowed to grow very long. which assists
them in playing the guitar, their favorite
instrument
The dress of the Tagar women con-
sists of a little skirt made of the IA
nous pima cloth. aviug wide, short
sleeves. This is worn loose quite un-
1 bound to the figure. and reaches to the
waist. Around IT is a girt, a petticoat
called saya, made of silk either striped or
checked but always Of gay colors. Some
times 1t is also Of pima CLOTH the quality
and coloring frequently very beautiful and
sometimes cheap and common.
Out of doors another article of dress, a
| taptZ or shawl. is wrapped tightly around
the loins and waist above the saga. and
generally it is black or dark blue, with
narrow white stripes. A profusion Of
bracelets and chains and earrings. all Of
beautifully worked gold or silver, usually
completes the toilet of a Tagal beauty.
The more opulent often are seen with
necklaces and bracelets of diamonds and
pearls.
over her neatly folded neck kerchief
the Tagal woman wears a crucifx or
little bag Of relics, suspended by chain.
Sometimes she will have a rosary Of coral
or pearls and medals of copper or gold,
bearing the figure Of Our Lady Of Mexico
or of Gaudaloupe.
The Philippine women of all ages-chil-
dren and old women, as well as young
girls and matronS-srnoke long cigars,
chew the betel nut. dance. swim, and ride:
but the great ambition of every woman is
to possess 8 dress. q scarf, or at least a
handkerchief of the famous pima cloth.
There is no more beautiful fabric manu-
featured in any part of the world than
this. which is made from the fiber Of the
pineapple leaf. and IS quite expensive;
a common short skirt costs from 81 TO SO;
a whole dress costs at least $40, and no
less a sum than SIS has been paid for a
sigle garment.
good average scarf or handkerchief
brings from $25 to $50. When embroiderer
a scarf of pima cloth sometimes cost as
much as $50.
The most important industry that the
women of the Philippines are engaged in
is tobacco In the making of cherOots
none but women are employed, and there
are no less imam 4,VUU pussy IN the IdCIO-
ries of Manila alone.
Men make the cigarilloS, or small ct-
CARS, which are smoked by the natives,
but women only are allowed TO prepare
and roll the cigars. 1t is estimated that
q. 900 women find employment in this bus
inesss and bnly 1900 men. Each room
in the enormous factories contain from
500 to 900 women. all of whom are seated,
or rather squatted, on the floor.
At intervals little round tables are
placed, and at every one of these an elder
" matron is stationed TO keep watch over
the dozen or so younger women and girls.
The noise IS absolutely maddening, as
stones are used for beating out the leaf
A cigarmaker earns from IS to SO
month, which is quite sufficient to pro-
vide her with necessary comforts, and
leaves a balance for dress.
The married women, whose husbands
earn their living for them in the field or
factory keep house in a primitive fash
ion. The patriachal custom OF making
the lover serve in the house Of his In
tended brides father is universal in the
philippines.
When the marriage takes place there
is usually a feast Of several days, and
the bride of Is years is then taken TO the
little house which her husband has built
with his own hands.