Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-03-16
MANILA Letter,
A Pickens Soldier Writes Interest.
inglY Of that Country.


ter of Luther Lesley, written to his
parents on tho 10th of December,
from Quartet dc Malate, Manila, p.
l., will be interesting reading:
l am getting so that" like this
country very WE'LL We are nicely
quartored now and have nice cots to
sleep on. The weather, tai Q it all
the year round, isn't any hotter than
in Florida. The nights are much
cooler, and blanket is very comfor-
table to sleep under. We don't
have much out post duty to do now.
The natives around here seem TO he
very well satisfied that the United
States are going to hold the islands.
Aguanaldo still has his army in the
country around Manila. We don't
expect any more trouble with him,
but we do expect trouble with an
other tribe that fought on the Span
ish side against Aguanaldo, and us,
too, during the war with Spain; they
call them the Mcabebe tribe. The
Mcabebe's were always loyal to Spain
and it is thought that it is the Span
iards urging them on to US.
There are about twenty-five differ
ent tribes on the islands and each
tribe speaks different language
from the other. The Mcabebes arc
never satisfied unless they are at war
and were always at war with somo
of tho other tribes. The Tagabos
are the most civilized of them all.
They speak mostly Spanish and arc
as much mixed with Spanish blood
as the Southern negro is with white.
The most of the natives in and around
Manila are Tagabos, Aguanaldo's
tribe.
The natives arc learning English
fast. They are very quick to learn ;
and they are all natural born musi~
clans. Almost all of them can play
some kind of an instrument. They
play altogether by ear. Not many
of them can read music. They have
learned great many American tunes
and play them well. Aguanaldo has
one of the best bands l ever heard
play. There are one hundred pieces
in it.
The natives around here make
their living principally by peddling
vegetables, fruits, cigars, cigarettes
and soft drinks on the streets. Every
one, male or female, old or young,
can be seen on the streets with a
basket on their head yelling out the
name of the article they have for
sale. The women carry everything
on their heads. / noticed native
woman carrying a native soldier that
was walking post a glass of water.
She only had about one hundred
yards to 60 with it and she sat it on
top of her head to carry it. The
men carry everything balanced on a
stick across their shoulder. | no.
ticed native carrying n sack of rice
in one of his baskets and he put
rocks in the other one until it was
balanced to suit him, then went his
way.
The way they build their houses
would make you laugh. They sink
the posts in the ground, mortice the
slecners to them about four feet
above the ground. The floor is then
put on. 1t is made of split bamboo.
The bamboo poles are split into inch
strips, tied on with rattan strings.
This leaves little cracks every inch
that lets all tho dirt fall right
through. The frame work and raft
ers are made of bamboo poles NOR
ticed together and tied. They never
use nail. The roof and sides are
made of palm leaves. The leaves
a.e Tapped over strip of bamboo
and tied with rattan strings. These
they put on in layers, leaving holes
for doors and windows. The win
dow shutters are made of the same
mctcrial, and tied to the upper still
30 they can be shaved out and prop
ped up with sticks. The house at q
distance looks like fodder stack
Their furniture consists of table,
chairs, and large bcdstead large
enough to hold the whole family, all
made of bamboo, and an earthcn bowl
that they build fire i'm for cooking
purposes.
The natives all smoke cigarettes
and cigars, male and female, old and
yonng. There is large cigarette
factory here that employs about six
thousand natives, mostly women,
and several cigar factories that en-
ploy a good many. They are fine