The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
PHILIPPINE DIVERSIONS.
Fishing with Csrabao los Native Fear OF Came
~ras-Soldiers Try Farming.

~ras-Soldiers Try Farming
~BrNALBAGAN. Negros. p. l.. MAY 1.-THE
other day | was out fishing with an odd fishing
party. | was spending the day at the Ha-
cienda de Conception, which is on the banks
OF the Binalbagan River. about four American
miles out from this pueblo. After the noon
day meal all the men folk at the hacienda took
small boats and pulled dow stream TO a point
a few hundred yards from the sea. Here the
party in boats was met by a big crowd of natives
in charge Of n herd of carabaos, or water buff
falo. probably forty or fifty head.
just as the tide was NJ the flood the natives
drove the carabaos into the river and headed
them up stream. Then the natives waded
in behind them and drove them NJ the river.
Behind the natives cam the boats. The up
roar and splashing was great. The carabaos.
%crowding the river from bank 10 bank, came
first. Thay splashed and trampled the river
bed and snorted. Then came the GRO d Of
natives, pounding the water with fiat sticks
and yelling Vince. vince" which Is aquiva-
lent TO git up" or "%g'lang," al the carabaos.
Last came the boats loaded to the waters edge
with mestizos. American soldiers and refresh-
ments guaranteed TO make all sorts Of hideous
noises. The soldiers sang songs. the mestizo,
howled in broken Spanish and the oarsmen
caught crabs. Occasionallv n boat would
tip over. All told. the noises were calculated
10 scare any well-regulated school of fish into
Mysteries.
This bedlam was continued until the pro-
cession reached q point three miles up the river,
where the fish trap was located The trap
was constructed Of bamboo and made so that
the terror-stricken fish could get in. but not
out again. did not ax anime the construction
in detail. but the trap in appearance resembled
a big bamboo stockade reaching from bank
10 bank Of the river. Anyway, It served its
purpose and was soon packed with members
Of the finny tribe. Then. when the tide mad
subsidized somewhat the natives climbed into
the trap and scooped the fish ont into big has-
kets. The catch was | would not
attempt 10 estimate the number,
That evening We had a pig FISH dinner at
the hacienda. There was hsh broiled, boiled.
roasted. fried. fricassred and raw. And nsh
soup, a decoCtion that tastes like luke-warm
cod-liyer oil. After The dinner Q big mating
was spread on the grass outside the house.
and big bonfires were built to illuminate the
festive scene. Then the tawOs lmcnl and
dcl9eas .lwomenl danced, And some Of he
soldiers took a hand and occasionally tried
10 teach the delagas some Of the American
fancy dances, But the natives are faithful
40 the Walt ana ,Rdv tEovstep' al and as t for fancy
iA' WI nv ' wv VI VI oNH
that are very fancy indeed.
I've lately received a snapshot camera, but
did not take It 70 the FISHING part, for fear Of
on that score. I've had some odd experiences
trying to get exposures with my kodak. This
is a seaport town and most OF the natives Of
the town itself have seen cameras before, They
have a superstition that all pictures but those
of a rel aious nature arc the handiwork Of the
devil. I've had them tell me that il ! took
their pictures they would soon die. They
soon noticed that | took no snaps AZ Americans
but only at natives. This confirmed their orig
inll idea, and now when start out with my
cdSnera natives. especially the women, run
for cover in all directions.
speaking Of religious pictures reminds me
that every .nipa hut has its little, altar with
SOM sort Of religious pictures To adorn II. On
one OF these affairs | saw the lid Of an Ameri-
can cigar box, adorned with the usual picture
Of Columbus landing on American soil. Some
American must have thrown the cigar box away
and a native, seeing the cross and Columbus
kneelinR. promptly took II for a religious pic
ture and gave IL a place on the home altar.
We soldiers are not only telegraph opera
tors and linemcn, road builders, schoolteachers,
&c. but now We have turned agricultural eS-
perfnenters. some one. ! suppose 1t was the
US some seeds. corn. lettuce and radishcs. with
n request that we liant and cultivate them
and report results The request was also made
that we take potato cuttings from our ration
n~llowanCe and do the same. We've got quito
a farm started, hut whether IL will ever grow
anything Is a question.
WIN 1 wis AZ lNtD'lH ! was S'nooltnnstHr,
or rather teacher Of English in the public school
there for eight weeks. My brightest pupil
was a lad named Frankie Rosado. At the start
he did not know six words Of English. fe
was the only really sHappy. bright Filipino
hoy that ever encountered. What he nc
complished in eight weeks struck me as really
marvellous. He Is IL and knew both VI
sayan and Spanish, and a little Church Latin
10 start on. Here is a letter he wrote me a
short time ago:
-YslRErA NEGRos, p. l., .Aprail 3, 1909.
DEAR FRIEND TEACHER: received your
kind letter the day 20 the mons march. I was
very glad 70 hiar from YOU litter you speak YOU
come to lsabHla sunday. was very glad
you come, | much pa abOt lNisayan for carel
FOR you. Now | much sad you do not come
TO Ysabela.
Il have now teacher American. | much
sad othla teacher. | would Tiki you come to
Ysabala POGO tempo.
My father and my mother much glad you
come 70 Sundays how are you, | am well.
how are YOU. Please answer, Your friend.
"FRASHo RosADo. care Cenon Rosado.''