The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-13
PHILIPPINE ABoRIGINEs.


The Negritos are the abprigines OF
the Philippines. Before the coming OF
the Malays, they probably occupied all
this island group, and many of the nu-
merous islands which lie in the Pacific
to the southwark. Some Of them arc
found to-day In the peninsula of NAL
acca and the Andaman Islands. In
Java they have recently died out. 1t is
likely that some of them still exist in
forests of Borneo and in the Interior OF
other large islands. Half-hreed Negri-
toS are found from India to New
Guinea, Here the Negritos have ANAL
gamated with the savage tribes of Hin
dustan; there, with the Negro-like Pap
uans Of Malaysia. But everywhere the
pure race is dying out. War, bitter
and unrelenting, seems to have existed
for centuries between them and the in
vadng Malays The latter have proved
the stronger; the Negritos have per-
ished, or been driven to the depths of
the forests and the Businesses of the
mountains; and most of the land which
once knew them knows them no more.
A policy of determination has pre-
vailed; and few Of this once numerous
race survive
What can be said of them as individ-
uals? They have no claims to notice.
They are a race of dwarfs the smallest
people on the face of the earth. I in
tend this statement to include the pig
mics of Africa. And mentally they are
the lowest, or one of the lowest of the
human races, stupid in mind, degrading
in condition, forest wanderers, scarcely
more settled than the apes; "man-apes"
they are called in parts of India.
But, if deficient mentally, the Negri-
tos are largely endowed physically.
They can run like deer and climb like
monkeys. In fact, they approximate to
the monkeys in one respect, since they
have great powers of movement and Of
grasping in the great toe, being able to
pick up minute objects with their feet
When on board ship they are as nimble
as monkeys, and can descend the rig
ging head foremost, holding on by the
toes alone. Some Negritos are employed
as servants by the F'iipinos. Most of
them, however, dwell in their forest re-
treats, where they live mainly by hunt
ing; though they also eat the wild fruits
of the forest, the roots of the arum
the honey of the wild bees, and other
woodland products. Their weapons are
simple but effective. They consist of
bamboo lance, bow of palmwood, and
CULVER of poisoned arrows. 1t is an in
teresting fact that the art of poisoning
arrows il common to the pigny races,
wherever found. The African dwarfe
use arrows, a puncture from which is
fatal. The Negritos have another way
of getting foot not agreeable to the ma
tives of the open country. They will
swoop down upon the valley, steal COW
ertly round herd of browsing cattle,
and drive them off to their strongholds
in the hills.
The Negritos-or Aetes, as the Span
iards call them--live in the simplest and
most primitive fashion They wander
to and fro, about fifty families in a
group, obtaining shelter from a few
sloping poles covered with leaves.
they build rude huts raised
on bamboo poles, in the Malay fashion
They have pretence Of farming,
the ground with a stick and
throwing in a handful of seed; but they
seldom remain in one place long enough |
to gather their slender crop.-Ramon |
Reyes Lala in the Forum. 4