The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-08

appeased. The sacrifices ara celebrated
At least once a year at che nationsl feast
and also at times OF sickness or famine.
when the gods are supposed 20 be frowning
| upon humanity. As a usual thing but one
slave Is killed at such a celebration.
| Slaves ere bought and sold among these
| people They are traded for with the neigh
| boring tribes and are also brought In a,
times and sold 10 the Christians. The four
slaves here which have spoken OF "a hav-
ing been offered TO me for go were origi-
naily brought IN BY the Bsgobas and sold
to their owners in Davao.
MATADEROs. OR
PROFESSIONAL KILLERS.
According 70 the Vice Presidente. the
Bagoba " no ha. killed the most mon is the
most thought Of He rays when a Young
man reaches his majority he starts out on "A
| killing tour IN order TO make n reputation,
preferably seeking the haunts of the neigh
boring tribes lie lies In ambush with his
spear or bow and poisoned arrows and
| waits Tor human game. When he has killed
u man or woman ne crts of an ear or a fin
ger and brings IL in and shows II. II he has
| an enemy in his own tribe he may Kill hiru
| and II hc has killed a number he IS selected
| by the datto. OF chief, a professional and
| given an appointment at court. Those who
have killed ten or more men are called
| mataderos.
The BaEoba. are very revengetul. They
|
10 the families or slaves Of the men they
| hate. and spear or lance them on sight.
| They are adopts in the use OF the lance
| and the spear. one stabbed a Vlsayan here
| the other day. driving his spear clear
| through the body OF his victim The VS.
syan was armed with a bolo. and with the
| spear still In him he turned and chopped off
| the head OF the Bagoba. The Visayan was
| brought into the town. left for several days
| without treatment. and then handed over
4 -
| gcon. Captain Haines put him under ether
| and performed operation which saved
/ his life. I called upon the sick man the
9th day ana found him almost recovered.
/ He IL very grateful TO the doctor and has
given him the bo'o with which he killed the
| Bagoba as a reward for saving his life
HOW THE
J BAGOBAS LIVE.
The Bagobas are not entirely savage IN
their way OF living. They have small
farms and cultivate rice ard sweet pota-
| toes in the intervals OF their hunting ex-
cursions. They have houses erected on
poles nigh above the ground They raise
some hemp and weave the most Of their
clothes from It. choosing the best Of the
fiber.
The Basoha women are better looking
than the other female savages Of Minda-
mao. They are almost white They are
straight and well formed. Their dress IS a
skirt, reaching from the waist 10 the knee
and a very short Jacket. Both skirt and
JACKIE: are heavily embroidered with beads
They are fond of ieweiry and wear little
earrings OF much the same shape as those
l have described rs worn by the men. They
wear strings OF bells above the knees at
about the place where the American girl
wears n garter and have heavy brass rings
about the ankles. They have a sort Of
headdress which covers their hair which
is often SO long that II hangs almost TO the
knees. When fully dressed they ndorn
their hair with fancy feathers and hemp
The Bagoba women do the most of the
hard work. They do the weaving OF tho
people and plant tho crops and keep out the |
weeds.
Still quoting the words OF tho Vic. pres, |
dente, these people are very hospitahls
and universally treat guests well when |
they come to see them. Their hospitality. |
however. ends after he has left the village
at which time he had better keep his eyes !
open for one of the young men who is after
a head. finger or an ear to establish his /
reputation
The Vice Presidente says that they marry
very young and that the groom always has |
to pay a certain price for the bride The
amount is regulated by the beauty of the
girl and her standing IN tho tribal society
II she is good looking and the daughter
OF warrior she may be estimated at SO
although the sum will not be given In
money. but In vegetables. chickens or
hemp. One way of estimating such things
Is at the price Of brass gong. Such a
gong Is worth thirty silver dollars and It
is valuable maiden indeed who Will bring
two brass gongs.
OTHER QUEER
SAVA9ES.
Tho Vice Presidents has given mo the
names of twelve different tribes who I've
In this vicinity. They are az follows: The
Bagobas. the Guyangas. the Aetas. the
Mindayas. the Malobas, the samalas. the |
Calaganes. the Belanes. the Moros the !
Tagaoaules and the Sangals and Tirurayes.
He says that the Monteses, whom Dean |
Worcester seems to consider a separate |
race. are Of different kinds. the word being !