The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12
OUR CANNlBAL CITIZENS
VETsAYOS WHO HATE PEACE AND
WHOM SPAIN NEVER sUBDUED.
One Tribe in the Philippines Who
still Maintain the Most BarbarOus
Practices of Savages.


| W. J. r., in New York Press.
Strangest of the Philippine races are on
| the isolated island of Palawan. nearly 800
miles west of the general Philippine archi-
| pelago across the waters of the Sulu sea-
Palawans physical characteristics and the
character Of the tribes inhsbiting ii resem-
BILE those of Borneo. The most interesting
| people Of this island are the Vitsayos. a
nomadic offshoot of the Visayas of Min
danao Separated by warfare from the pa
rent group, intermarriage with natives CT
Borneo and Papua evolved d new people
entirely. This race has proved unconauer-
able, and for centuries has offered defiance
to both civilized and savage aggression The
most formidable expeditions of the Spanish
government have ended in disaster; their
subJugation was given up as an impossi-
Bile task. And this would be one of the most
serious problems to be met with in assert
ing our sovereignty over the islands. Their
villages are along the western sea slope of
Palawan. They generally are large, hold
ing 1900 or 5000 inhabitants and are sur
rounded by high walls of sun-drled brick or
meats twenty or thirty feet deep, the bot
tom protected by long rows of sharp iron
spikes The traveller is greeted by a chorus
of barking, which brings out horde of I'M
NoAAALS "a SNSCSs WIZ 6dliIeE IOQilu WITH lOGu
shouts and menacing spear thrusts that
Danish all desire for more than a passing
acquaintance with them
they make no provision for the future in
| spite of the lesson taught by bitter expert
ence, but are voraclous gluttons Half the
year, when provisions are scarce, in the dry
| season, most of them are nearly starving
and are reduced to mere skeletons vet when
Iood is obtained they indulge in huge feasts,
WHcn last Tor days and even weeks, until
phe IoOd mas given out. The food is placed
IN huge troughs in the center of the village,
guarded by spearsmen Many hours before
the feast a hungry, demonstrative mob Of
natives gathers. AT a signal from the chief
a tremendous rush is made for the troughs
the strong beating the weaker under root
OF tamlshed wolves. They eat and braw
TIL the suTfeited warriors, too gorged to
move, he upon the ground in a comatose
condition. Thus they are carried to their re-
spective abodes by their wives
Among nearly all these tribes cannbalism
is prevalent and head-hunting is generally
recognized. Sometimes prisoners of war are
seized and held as slaves, but more often
they are eaten at the feast prepared 10 cele-
brate their capture.
PERSONAL ADORNMENT
Tattooing is common among both sexes
and all tribes, while huge rings are worn
on the arms, ankles and around the neck
and body. These are made either of iron
or brass, according to which is easiest to se-
cure, mined from the surrounding noun
tains, which are remarkably prolific IN val
liable minerals. There is uumistakable evil
dences of gold deposits, but native super
stition regards this ore being under the
influence of evil spirits, and it is never per-
mitted to be mined. Their liking for music
amounts TO almost passion. Their instru-
ments are of the crudest Sort. various
shaped drums and tom-toms and curious
one-strIin1ged guitars, which produce the
iC rot IN 10 NM I'm
to see native play from morning to night
without cessation before his dwelling for
the entertainment of silent and intensely
absorbed gathering, who keep time to the
uncertain drumming of the guitar by a
constant rhythmic swapping of the fingers
A trumpet belonging to one of the guides
of my expedition was an object of special
envy, and Notwithstanding the scarcity of
food In the country, several chiefs offered
their entire stock of wives and several head
OF cattle to boot for the ownership of this
precious bauble We disposed of it to a
hoary-headed patriarch, whose implicit faith
in it's magic powers was great that he
immediately called together his warriors
and started off on an expedition against a
distant tribe who had dared his authority.
But alas for his faith in it's power. In a
week he returned with a number of his
bravest warriors killed and his hereditary
foes still unconQuered.
Their religion is the lowest form of pagan
ISM There are many powerful deities, and
each tribe and individual has it's own local
gods and spirits. They are represented by
stone and wooden images which adorn the
tree or on top Of some high rock in the
forest to seize upon and devour the evil
spirits wandering in space. Fetishism plays
an important part In the Vttsayo religion.
The 'uklarS" native priests are more
powerful than the chiefs. Before any prof.
ect is undertaken these crafty gentlemen
are consulted in order to secure the favor
Of the gods.
The person desiring the invocation must
make liberal presents to the priests, who
deposit them before the shrine Of the par
tioular deity who is invoked. These are
left overnight, and if in the morning they
have disappeared it is taken as sign of
the favor Of the gods. The priests lay
claim to power in detecting crime, and as
every disease or misfortune is laid to the
machination of some evil spirit possessing
human body, it is a part of their office to
ferret out the. person who so beWitoh A
which he is obliged to drink. If by any
strange good fortune he should survive the
ordeal his life is spared and search for
new victim begun until the real culprit is
discovered.
PREY UPON TRAVELLERS
A traveller in this country is likely at any
moment to be seized upon as a victim of
popular fury. A native may be stricken
with disease, or meet with one of a thou
sand other perfectly natural calamities.
But every event, however trivial, must have
an occult reason for it's being, and the bur-
den of guilt invariably is fastened upon the
one in whom the charlatan "uklars" see the
most chance of enriching themselves. HUI
man sacrifice is common among all Vitsayo
tribes Those sacrificed are usually slaves
or prisoners of war, although II the proper
religious season comes around and there are
none of these available they have no scru-
pies in killing those of their own kin, usual
~ women or children, seldom men, as the
preservation of the latter is necessary TO
the welfare OF the tribe. On the occasion
Of a particularly sacred festival as many as
a dozen are strung up by the hands and feet
and roasted to death over q fire. around
which the priests gather while with long
nets they catch the evil spirits as they are
driven out Of the bodies by the heat and
thrust them back into the fire again with
various potent prayers, which VIII cause
them to be consumed. The heads of those
sacrificed are preserved and apportioned to
the principal chiefs, while the bodies are
usually eaten. The Vitsayos believe that
at the birth Of a child witches and evil
spirits congregate and watch for an oppor-
tunity to seize the soul of the infant and
suppiant it with some malevolent one. Be
fore the child is born the mother is shut up
in a small hut and provided With scanty
amount of food. The entrance is sealed
and every crevice stopped up, that witches
cannot enter while day and night
two or more "uklars" circle round with
incantations waving small images and
fetch boxes TO brighten the evil spirits
away. Pieces Of raw meat are. stuck on