Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-12-13
THE IcoRRoTEs OF LuzoN.

Fine Looking Natives. Friendly to Amer
leans and Hostile to Tagals.
DR.. Lloyd r. Hawley writes to the
New York Sun from Manila to say
that there are wrong impressions in
the United States concerning the Igor
rotes of Luzon. He says:
"The Igorrotes are much larger than
the Tagals, straight and muscular; in
fact more like our Sioux Indians.
Their hair is straight and most Of the
tribes are friendly to us.
Arriving at an Igorrote village you
see the president or headman. He
gives you a man to gather your wood.
another to bring water, another to feed
and care for your horses, etc. You pay
each from one to five cents. They
guard your things during the night.
and in the morning you may wake up
and see your horses off on the side
of mountain, three to five miles
away, grazing; but they are at hand
when wanted, having been carefully
attended all night.
''The women are strong and sturdy.
Some of the younger ones are quite
good-looking. All have fine eyes, and
the unmarried are very modest in
strangers company.
''They are great packers. You can
see long line of them, men and wom-
en-, with packs weighing from so to 100
pounds, ascending a mountain, twang-
ing their different toned bamboo tun-
ing forks, where it would be difficult
for an American to ascend with an
alpenstock. The packs are held by
straps to shoulders and waist. and
there is band around the forehead.
others put their little babies on top
of their pack, leaving their hands and
arms free to sound their bamboo tun-
ing forks. These are made from pieces
of bamboo. of different lengths, like
the oldfashioned tuning forks. They
strike them against one hand. keep
ing time as they march along and pro-
ducing sort of melody that is very
pleasing to the ear, as each gives a
different tone.
"A number of prospecting parties
have formed mining districts in the
Igorrote country, elected recorders,
presidents and staked their claims, and
now dream of untold wealth soon to be
enjoyed with wife or sweetheart in
far away Am erica. Some of them will,
| am afraid, have anything but pleas
ant awakening. That is, those have
gone through the to them meaningless
form of the Igorrote marriage service,
and large percentage have done so,
considering 1t but form of purchas-
Ing a slave. But the United States
Will, think, be compelled to recognize
the marriage laws or customs Of these
people and consider them as binding
as marriage in the cathedral solemn
lied by the Archbishop himself.
THE Igorrote courtship and mar
riage ceremony is simple. The young
swain sees the apple of his eye, meets
the stern parent and asks for the
daughter. The parents ask what he
can furnish for the fiesta or ceremony
itself, suggesting COW and hog and
plenty Of tobacco, native beer, tuba or
a calf, and some chickens. The young
man offers n young calf, small pig,
chickens and plenty to drink. In
deed this young man knows the worth
of our charming daughter think the
parents, and after consent is given the
day is named for the ceremony (Which
is generally within day or so, or on
the same day. The bridegroom takes
the calf, pig, chickens, etc, to the
fatherin-law's house. The young lady
is told of her good fortune, the neigh
bors come in and help kill and dress
the food. Then the fiesta begins
"a large fire is built, the meats are
barbecued and all the relatives, neigh
bors. friends and everybody else gath
er around the fire in circle, dance,
eat, drink and make merry until morn
ing or until the cares and strifes of
this world are knocked galley west by
the overindulgence in the liquid re-
freshments. During all this time the
blushing bride and her lovelorn cap
tive sit within the circle. At the close
Of the fiesta they are man and wife,"