The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-27
NEGRITOs ARE ALMOST EXTINCT,
Philippine AbOrigines Victims of
the Sturdier Races. .o
From the Forum.

FROM the Forum.
The Negritos are the aborigines of the
Philippines. Before the coming of the Ma
lays they probably occupied all this is
land group and many of the numerous is
lands which lie in the Pacific to the south
ward Some of them are found to-day in
the peninsula of Malacca and the Anda-
man islands. In Java they have recently
died out. II is likely that some of them
still exist in the forests of Borneo and in
the interior of other large islands. Half
breed Negritos are found from India to
New Guinea. Here the Negritos have
amalgamated with the savage tribes Of
Hiudustan; there with the negrolke pap
uans of Malaysia But everywhere the
pure race is dying out War bitter and
relenting. seems 20 have existed for centu-
ries between them and the invading. Ma
lays. The latter have proved the stronger
the NegritOs have persisted or been driven
to the depths of the forests and the fast
nesses Of the mountains. and most of the
land which once knew them knows them
no more. A policy Of determination has
prevailed, and few Of the once numerous
race survive
What can be said of them az individuals?
They have two claims to notice. They are
a race of dwarfs, the smallest people on
the face of the earth, ] intend this state
ment to include the pigmies of Africa
And mentally they are the lowest, or one
of the lowest, Of the human races stupid
in mind. degraded in condition, forest wan
derers scarcely more settled than the apes
"man-apes" they are called in parts Of
India
But if deficient mentally the Negritos
are largely endowed physically. They can
run like deer and climb like monkeys In
fact, they approximate 10 the monkeys
in one respect since they have great pow
ers Of movement and of grasping in the
great toe, being able 10 pick up minute
objects with their feet When on board
ship they are as nimole as monkeys and
can descend the rigging headforemosJ,
holding Oh by the toes alone. Some Neg
ritos are employed as servants by the FIJI
pinos. Most of them, however, dwell ia
their forest retreats, where they live main
" by hunting, though they also eat the
wild fruits of the forest, the roots of the
arum. the honey of The wild bees and 9TH
er woodland products. Their weapons are
simple, but effective. They consist Of
bamboo lance a bow of palm wood ana
a culver of poisoned arrows. ! is an in
terestinS fact that the art OF poisoning
arrows is common TO the pigmy races
wherever found. The African dwarfs use
arrows, a puncture from which is fatal
The Negritos have anot hor way of getting
food, not agreeable 10 the natives OF the
open country. They win swoop down upon
the valley, steal covcrtly around a herd
of browsing cattle and drive them off TO
their stronghoids in the hills
The Negritos-or Aetas, as the Spanish
call them-live in the simplest and most
primitive fashion. They wander TO and
fro, about fifty families in a group, OBJ
tanning shelter from a few sloping poles
covered with leaves. Sometimes they
build rude huts raised on bamboo poles.
in the Malay fashion They have a pre-
tense of farming, scratching the ground
with q stick and throwing IN d handful
of seed, but they seldom remain IN ore
place long enough to gather their slender
crop.