The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-03

the supernatural takes a strong hold
on him. Religion, however, has such
small hold on his conscience that some
Indians before committing g robbery,
for the commission Of which the spill
ling of blood may be necessary, will
buy a couple of candles and burn them
before some saint, praying that they
may be successful in the villainy which
they are about to perpetrate.
Like all Oriental races the Indian is
extremely superstitious and has q
blind faith in the virtue of certain
amulets, believing that as long as he
has them in his possession life is invul
nerable. Thcse amulets r generally
a picture OF profane and idola~rous 90
| jects, With Christian prayers in Latin
written upon them.
Gambling is his ruling passion. For
gambling he will abandon work and
even his wife and children. The game
of cards called by the natives pan
guingui and monte, and, over and
above all, cock fighting. are a craze
among the Indians. When money is
lacking to indulge in this vic9, which
is to than a second nature, loans are
| obtained at q ruinous rate of interest
from the usurers. He will sell any
part of his clothing or anything In his
house, or, If necessary, pawn or mort
gage his children for the amount he
needs. II his gambling is successful
he pays his debts with accrued inter
est, and redeems with clothing or chill
dren as the case may be. He never
repudiates a debt and sooner or later
end5avors to pay it. If the pledge is
q child it remains in bondage until it's
forfeit is paid.
The Indian is such a profound sleep
er that not even a Martinique earth
quake can awake him. He can sleep
10 any position, standing, lying or sit
ting. When he is in the midst OF his
slumbers he hates to be awakened by
| being shouted at or shaken, believing
] that this treatment ia IT, IrioUs TO the
! heart. If one Of them wishes to awake
/ suother he comm 3nces to call in a low
voice, gradually increasing the sound
ultil the sleeper aWakes. The same
, method is observed In awakening the
master, whether he be a native or
European, and this perhaps is not a
bad custom.
The Philippine Indian is very quick
and learns with remarkable facility
anything which he sees done, so that
there are among them excellent t~ailora,
silversmiths, BARRIERS, shoemakers,
woodcarvers and all other classes Of
tradesmen. He has an inexhaussibie
patience for learning anything, for
time is to him of very little value, In
the Philippines until within a few
years there was no school of arts and
trades, and yet today workmen and
operatives in all branches Of industry
abound. He does not colhne himself
to any particular branch, 70: the In
dian who ia t)day a barber, tomorrow
may be a cook, a coachman or a tailor
and the blacksmith Of yesterday may
be acting as acolite in the church.
Such is their extraordinary power Of
imitation that it is only necessary to
show a model and say ''parejo" and
your Iadian workman will make an
exact copy. In order TO do so he may
have to make one, two or twenty al
tempts, but the result will be a perfect
reproduction.
H is fond of initiating anything he
| sees white men do, and if he sees a
nat, a pair Of shoes, trousers or any
thing else in the linz OF clothing that
strikes his fancy he Immediately OBJ
tains one and puts it on, giving no
thought as to whether it is becoming
or not, for as long as it is something
E lropean he thinks it must be the
model of perfection.
The Philippine Indian is the happiest
being in the world, for he never de
spairs and is never elated, taking the
knocks and bio rs of fortune with
enviable stoicism. Everything which
occurs to him in life, be it good or
evil, is considered as a direct dispense
ton of Providence which is called
''talaRa nan Dos" If q child falls ill
ne uses all the means at his disposal
for its cure, but if it dies he says God
willed it." and resigns himself to fate.
If he lCs3s money in a business trans
action he believes this also the will cf
G. ID, only saying bad luck"; but if he
gains either in business, gambling or
by any other can he gives the vii
| Ii no nriasas Rnm dnllnna To onInhnnAA