The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19
OF THE FILIPINOS
THE SMELLS AND THE SOUNDS OVER
TOWERING TO NEWCOMERS.
A Curious study of Native Character
istics by a Longtime American
Resident of the Islands.
clifford Knox. in Springfield Republican.

Clifford Knox, in Springfield Republican.
In obtaining a knowledge of the Islas
Filipinos, that which first appeals to the
visitor is the popularity of smells and the
diversity of sounds. 1t is not the sights,
but the odors and the din. You meet both
as you land at Manila or Cavite, and they
come upon you with a distinctness that -
nositivelv startling. The first remark that
the visitor makes is "Whew! How it
snellsv' The second is like unto it. Ora
cious! What a noise!" The American or
European hardly knows enough OF the life
Of the islands to enter at all fully INTO the
many causes which produce these strange
results; but some of them lie quite near the
surface The sounds are not musical the
smells are not those of spicy isles and deli
cacy Of aroma.
In the first place, there is the door OF
smoke. Something is burning Perhaps
YOU think OF forest fires, OF burning pra-
ries. 1t isn't that; but 1t is 1uel lhdeeo.
That odor is smoke, sure enough MOI OF
wood or charcoal, but the scrapihgs OF the
stables. the sweepings of the streets nodded
into fat cakes and dried in the sun on the
walls of the houses An Irish turf FIRE Is
Arabv-blessed in comparison. At sunset in
variably a heavy cloud of smoke rises near
the houses, whether in the villages or IN
the country. and this faint is upon the at
mosnhere till 1t is renewed the following
evening.
But smell again. More smoke. Tobacco
smone Not grateful or fragrant. You
hear about the Filipino tobacco and about
the grandeur OF the Spanish tobacco
monopoly" but you must see 1t smoked oy
the natives to appreciate 1t. 1t is coarse
and rank, and with sundry other heros Inc
leaves are stepped in black molasses to pre-
pare them for the pipe. Go about IN me
Villages and you find men smoking; mere
is circle of them-seVen or a multiple OF
seven flor luck" Seven fourteen or more
rarely twenty-One, Tagals, Chlnese anu
Negrtos. sitting to smoke. Inc PIPE StH ts
is but one for the circle) has DOW that
holds nearly or quite a PITT, ana IS IuI-
nished with a reed stem; They SPEAK Oh y
as their beloved" and squatting AROUND
If they pass the filthy stem from mouth to
mouth, with clockwork precision, round ana
round the circle. The BOWL rests upon INC
ground between them ana there - no QuaE-
Teling or greediness as the pipe Is enjoyed.
On it goes for hours, the men IdIhiIS to-
gether and grunting and laughing AS they
Smoke the smoke arises, dense and black,
enveloping the group. The door IL moe
scribaby disagreeabie, ana once IN the az
mosphere il mixes with that OF the burnt
manure. and you breathe its redolence every
step you take.
A LASTING DOOR.
The odor of the smoke naturally attaches
to the persons of the smokers; but that is
not the worst thing about it. A Filipino Is
an il-smelling creature. Take sniff, and
with the tobacco odor you get that of ghes
and mustard in combination. Now there Is
nothing more assertive to the nose than the
nastiness Of ghee end mustard OIL The for
mer is apt to be rancid, and the oil is the
most pungent stuff imaginable. The uses Of
the oil are various; with it, burning in an
open cup, the native lights his dwelling
with It he salutes the shrines OF his worthy
ancestors. Then, he uses Il Ireely-very
freeiy-for personal polishing NO matter