The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-12-10

They are able to sit in chair and
cat with u spoon when required to do
80 but prefer to squat upon the table
and eat out Of the dishes.
The weather here is always either
warm or hot, and it is not the slight
est breach Of Filipino etiquette to
appear without clothes; 80 clothing
to them is simply an uncomfortable
ornament, which intorferes with thier
health and makes them ridiculous.
Shoes give them trouble by Keeping
their feet hot and causing blisters,
corns, toe itch and other t. .ments.
When wild Igorrote is in full
dress he simply wears hat and Il
geo string and carries large shield
on his loft arm and several spears in
! his right hand. A domesticated Tag
aIo, however, prefers derby hat and
a shirt with large full tail which he
always hangs outside. He often ties
a string around his trousers at tho
ankles and carries his shoes in his
| hand.
Five cents worth of rice will last a
man about four days and if he will
catch few fish in the meantime he will
get along all right. For that reason H.
is almost impossible toinduce them to
do much work. One old fellow said
if they civilized him he would have to
work and try to save enough money
to live without working, but while he
remained as he was he lived all right
and did no work.
Like all ignorant people, their cred
ulity is easily imposed upon and
they will believe things which are un
natural and unreasonable and mys
terious more readily than they will
those things which they can under
stand. When they try to accept
some foroi gn religion, which is in no
way adapted to their lives and Gus
toms or ways Of thinking, they per
vert it horribly. For example, when
one of them wishes to commit some
especially atrocious crime he commits
it On Easter; for, as the Thief on the
Cross was readily forgiven then, he
feels sure Of being forgiven also.
They do not regard Icing as vice
and will even lie to the priest when
they 60 to confession. The Igorrotes
maintain that the heaven of the Eu-
ropsans would not at all suit them.
They believe they might find Span.
lards there, and besides, walking
about the golden streets is something
they could not enjoy. They think
that the soul is away when anyone is
asleep and are extremely careful not
to disturb sleeper for fear he will
wake up without his soul.
The Moros, who live in the south =
ern islands, are Mohsmedans and are
very fierce and warlike and fanatical
about their religion. They practice
polygamy and own salaves and be.
lieve If anyone kills Christian he
will be sure to go to heaven regard
less OF his past life. They are semi
civilized and are able to make beauti
ful weapons and inlay them with
silver.
The others have no tadvanced much
beyond weaving and making pottery
Like all savages, they arc extremely
hospitable and generous and treach
erous and only the women are indus
trious. The men have perfect pas
sion for gambling and fighting chick
ems, but strange to say, I have never
seen one drunk or disorderly.
In this archipelago there arc eleven
large islands and possibly two thous-
and small ones. The total area is
smaller than either California or
Montana, but is greater than Japan
or England. The population is only
about one fifth as large as either of
those countries, but with present
agricultural conditions is probably
fully up 20 the limit of what can be
supported. The birth rate is very
high and various methods arc re-
sorted to to relieve the distressing
pressure of being over populated.
On tho islands of Panay and Negros,
whenever sanyone dies it Is customary
for the relatives to go out at once aud
kill the first stranger they meet, 40
| thpt tho tuo oo,, ;~u..o,, A.