Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-07
Among the BagObaS
Queer Tribe of the Southern Philippines Who SaCri
flee Human Beings TO Their Gods.

Copyright 1900, by Frank G.. Carpenter
Dava0, Isdud Of Mindanao, May TO-
1g00.-Thls province Of Dayao, situated
In the southeastern corner OF the great
Island Of Miudanao at what might al-
most De- called the jumpIng-off place OF
cur Philippine possessions has some
Of the queerest slyoges on earth. II
has tribes which worship the great vol
cano Mount Apo. which looks down up
on me- as ] write. IL has Moros who
are more fanatical IN their Mohamme-
dan belief than the derylshes Of Egypt
and Il has nature worshipers who sacri-
fee human beings to their imaginary
gods. I have met during the past week
q large number Of two OF the tribes
which have human sacrifices, ana
through the vice prcsIdenie OF the
town of DayaO have learned nuCh con-
cernlus them and their customs. The
vice presidente is perhaps the most
learned man OF this rp-ipn. He has
been q school teacher. auI has "a work.
Ing knowledge OF eleven different lan-
guuges. including many OF the native
tongues. My conversation with him
was in Spanish. which he speaks and
writes most huently he has lived an
his life 10 this part OF the world, and
has had close associations with some
Of the most savage tribes.
PROFESSIONAL KILLERS.
This man tells me that fourteen ar
ferCnt languages are used with radi-
us Of thirty miles Of this place, and that
the whole country is divided up among
hostile savages who are nearly always
at war with one another. Most of them
are head hunters, and some such as The
ManObos, choose as their chiefs the
men who have committed the greatest
number OF murders. In some OF the
other tribes men are not supposed GO
be ready for marriage before they have
killed one or more human beings, and
the Bagobas and Guingas have "a class
OF special murdcrers appointed by their
chiefs who have the right 10 wear what
might be- called the murderer's turban.
which gives lis owner a license 60 Kill
This Is not worn until the man has put
10 death a certain number Of people.
II Is a piece Of red cotton the size OF
large bandana handkerchief with white
polka dots scattered over "a. / saw a
BagOba wearing one today, and asked
him how many men he had killed His
reply was, Twenty"
AMONG THE BAGoBAs.
These Bagobas live within about ten
miles Of Davao and parties of them fire.
quehtly come into the town 60 see the
strange white giants who have sailed
across the seas 90 take possession Of The
country They are not allowed tO bring
IN their arms and they deposit the
great knives. swords and spears which
they always carry when at home on
the other side of the DayaO river before
they venture within the range OF our
soldiers guns The result is that one
feels perfectly safe In moving about
among them / have talked with many
OF them and have them, | venture, the
first photographs that have ever
been taken Of them.
The BagObas are the hnest-lOoking
people ! have yet seen IN these Islands |
They are taller and better formed than |
the Tagal0s or the Visayans and far /
more intelligent than the M0r0s. They /
look more like Perslans than Malays. |
They have bright yellow skins and lux.
urlant hair, which they wrap up In a |
knot at the crown under their turbans. |
Their foreheads are high and broad, |
their noses straight and their lips rath. |
er sensual
EARRINGS AS BIG AROUND AS
PINT CUPS.
The ears Of many OF them cannot be 1
seen for the immense earrings which /
they wear. These are OF ivory made In |
the shape Of an Old-fashioned cum but. /
ton, with the top disk three or four .
inches broad and the under one al least /
an inch I'm diameter The under disk of /
the button is slipped through a hole In
the lobe OF the ear On such a way that
IS holds the upper disk firmly against
the side Of the head hiding the ear.
In order 90 get the exact size Of one Of
these earrings / persuaded the savage
20 take 10 on, and made "a tracing OF ID
IN my note book. II Is, / Judge. just
about as Wide as two columns Of this
newspaper. or about as bic around as
the rim Of a pint tin Gun. The under
disk or button, which goes through the
lobe N the ear. which also traced. is as
Dig round as q half dollar The ear
rings are VI the finest ivory, and I
judge costly FOR the man would not
cell them for less than 800 The hole In
the lobe OF the ear was ut least an inch !
long, and the man stretched 90 out by
pulling down the lobe when be Inserted
The button. ] understand that the holes
are made hy piercing the ear and insert
ing pieces oi wood or grass. adding adj
ditiOnal sticks or straWs from time 90 |
time, until the holes are enlarged 90 the
required size Others of the Bagohas
had earrings OF wood. and one I noticed
had thrust large sg8r through his ear |
lobe aud was carrying &c Ia this way
CLOTHES OF WOVEN GRASS.
The clothes OF the Bagobas are curl
Gus in the extreme These mon wore
Jackets and short trousers made of
grass cloth dyed red and white. and
heavily embroidered with beads Their
jackets dId not reach 10 their waists.
ana their sleeves came but little below
their elbows The trousers were tied on
WNh rope at the waist and In mo- case
ild they extend much below the middle
NJ the thigh An 90 the Bar1h1 men
wear bracelets about the wrist and
nearly dl have on bands of beads about
,ha legs between she calf and the kree
They carry on their backs kn8psaoks of
grass cloth gorsepusly embroidered
With beads of many cUlurs ANA thos.
"hioh j SOW nee tsybans Of bright
] watched them ct their meals. They
'at With th1 fingers. oll dipping the.r
hands INTO thH same bowl of nice. Thsp
7h'W tne be'al uur IKE the M0r0g. and
'te very ford Of American tobacco.
1essIng ito. lhe soldiers whenever they
Fan.