The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-24
PHILIPPINES EXHIBIT.

| Few exhibits in the Government build
| ing attract more attention than the Phil
| ippine collection in the North Pavilion.
! Every American citizen who visits the
Exposition will have an opportunity to
see for himself how the Filipinos live,
what kind of houses they live in what
clothes they wear, what they eat, how
I they cultivate the soil, their fisheries,
/ their Industries, their trades and manu-
| features. their games and amusements
and the thousand and one things that
make up their home environment
| Though the Government Board had no
special funds for a Filipino exhibit, 1t
took steps at an early date to represent
in an adequate manner the life of these
new wards of the nation. In the winter
of lS99-l9OO Colonel +. T.. Hilder of the
Smithsonian Institution was sent to the
Islands to gather up a representative col
lection. Colonel Hilder spent several
months in the islands, and in the face
of very great obstacles, brought together
rich collection. Having finishede his
work he returned TO Washington, where
he contracted pneumonia and died while
engaged upon catalogue of the collec-
ton.
One large portion of the exhibit con-
sists of agricultural implements and
products. There Is the primitive plough
and rake used in the rice fields knives
for cutting rice straw, rice sifters, bas-
kets and sleeves, models Of rice mills and
finally the rice itself
Next comes the famous Manila hemp
in huge skeins. like haxen hair, or made
up into ropes and cables. There are, su-
gar baskets and bales and native sugar
of various grades, tobacco, coffee, indigo,
dye-stuffs. cocoanut fibre and oil and
thn han tfth ND dali Nat a
pima cloth, made from pineapple fibre.
Most abundant of all is the bamboo,
which the Filipino adapts to every con-
ceivable use. There are bedsteads of
bamboo, chairs, tables. brushes. milk
Jars. rakes, RATS and stran8est of all
musical Instruments. Hardly less i'm
portant Is rattan, of which the native
constructs baskets, balls, mats and nu-
merous other household articles.
The palm leaf Is everywhere In evil
lence. for roofs, hats, cloaks. fans. baS-
kets, etc.
The collection includes all kinds of fish,
cry apparatus, lines. nets, RATS, boats,
baskets, etc.
The tools of the various trades are al
80 well represented. such as a complete
carpenters kit. carriage and harness.
makers tools mason's tools. a tinsmith's
outfit, farrier's implements, etc.
Visitors will doubtless find much to
interest them in the household utensils
and appliances, not the least curious of
which are the little earthenware stoves.
of which no well-appolnted kitchen con-
tains less than half dozen. Then there
are spoons and bowls of cocoanut shell.
knives and forks of buffalo bone, grass
brooms, bamboo bird cages. pottery. wa
ter bottles, baskets of every size and de-
scription.
Quite a different side of life In the ISL
andS Is shown by the gorgeous embroid-
cred silk and satin gowns worn by the
bellies Of Manila, lace mantillas. embrold-
cred and lace handkerchiefs and scarfs.
necklaces, .racelets and other jewelry.
Intellectual products have not been
forgotten. There are books on all sub
jects. printed in Manila. school books
and examination papers; printed music,
Among the art products are shell. horn
and wood carvings.
A reminder of the Spanish Government
is to be found in the collection OF pos
tage stamps, coins and paper money, tax
receipts, proclamations. etc.
There are also Spanish guns and other
weapons. Alongside of these are many
curious native weapons captured by our
troops. armor made OF buffalo hide.
spears. knives and bolos. bows and ar
rows and most singular of all cannon
made Of wood wound with wire.
The exhibit 10 supplemented by several
hundred mounted photographs. colored
pictures OF flowers and plants and a
small collection OF animals.