The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17
THE TAGALS OF LOUISIANA.
THE MAJOR PART or THE POPU-
LATYON or THREE COUNTIES.
Their Ancestors Came From Luxon ="
Years Agency speak Tasa' a""
spanisb Haven't Heard Of the War.
From The Woshin oton Post

| from Hf uNfNHb'N"
The fact that several thousand Tngals'
constituting the major portion oil the p
lation Of three counties. known as parishes
in one of the richest States VA the cnioh'
have been living in Southern Lou'sIhnh
since 1871, practically unknown una wth-
out attracting attention since isos' demon
stratcs in striking fashion the vast NUMBER
Of curious things hid away In the hooks ana
corners OF this broad domain
| The first French settlers OF LOUISIANA
established themselves on the coast and
sea Islands of lower Louisiana In 1900 SUD
sequently a storm. such as the one that de-
molished Galveston the like OF which occur
on the Gulf of Mexico. and with greater
or less ~ severity on or about the coming OF
the fall equinox. arose and 40 devastated
| these islands that the Norman and Breton
c~olonists removed to higher land above New
Orleans. leaving the W coast deserted
In later years, when Louisiana came I'M
der Spanish rule. the successor to BLOODY
| O'Reilley." the Baron de Galvez, being a
man of foresight. enterprise and Judgment
and having In his lifetime served In the Phil N
pines, turned his attention 10 colonization,
and imported from Luzon two shiploads OF
| Tagals. These colonists did not arrive as
slaves. although force was emplo yed to
recruit their lumber. but as settlers and
farmers. They reached the lower coast"
by way OF AGA pulco and Vera Cruz, a total
Of one hundred and some odd families, the
head of each receiving from the Spanish
Governor a tract of land for rice culture
This was the introduction OF rice culture In
Louisiana, for the Tagal colonists found the
lower coast" oongenial. and. in many re-
spects. like the land OF their birth. so that
from the start the scheme was a success.
These Tasals multiplied. and to-day their
descendants form the major portion OF the
population Of the parishes of Plaauemine.
Jefferson and 81. Bernard. in lower Louisiana.
where they are known locally as "Malays "
! They have. at oil times. held aloof from the
negroes. refusing to intermarry with them.
and voting the Democratic ticket by way
Of demonstrating their social and political
position.
Many OF them still speak the Ia gal Ian qua &c.
while all speak the Spanish tongue and a few
a very bad French. but the writer In all his
experience with this strange people never
found one OF them who could speak other
than very broken English. The descendants
OF these Tagal colonists are engaged in rice
| culture and In fishing. and this II the only
| quarter OF the United States where the Ma
layan idea OF a house on stills Is carried into
| practical effect The chief centres OF this
strange population are the towns of Proctor
| VILE and st Mslo named by the first French
settlers after the famous cod-fshing town OF
st Mslo. on the Breton coast. on the southern
| shore Of Lake Borgne. an inlet from the gulf.
and by reason of these strange East Indian
houses they have been able to bid defiance
to the eauinoctial hurricanes and high tides
that render this region unfit as a residence
for the whites
The descendants OF these Tagal oolonists
are the greatest stay-at-homes on earth:
more 40. In fact, than the Acadian. or Cajien.
settlers OF western Louisiana. and for this
reason have escaped notice. Since 1897 aud
all during the troubles in the Philippines
the fact that a considerable body of Tagnls
were citizens and voters of the United States
escaped completely the attention of the press
The literature OF this people is also very
scanty. George W. Cable makes no men,
ton OF them In any OF his works. Miss Grace
King seems also 70 have forgotten them.
while the works of Judge Gayarre, Father
| Charlevoir and lie Page du Pratt deal only
with the French domination OF Louisiana
and not the Spanish. 30 that consequently
| these people are neglected. The Marquis
dc Darke- Marbois wrote HE Historic de la
Louisiana" In Paris and from the standpoint
Of politics. -. that. aside from some old
records and documents on the subject these
Louisiana "Malays- remain a people without
a history. Charles Dudley Warner wrote
them up for Hdrpsr's WesSiU some fifteen
| wears after the war. but the article was very
brief and unsatisfactory, and 40 were similar
I hA ~ 49, 'F'HN W.
nun, written by Mrs Catherine Cole In tss0
| and 1851 Mr.. Lafcsdio Hesrn. In his charm
ine romance. The Legend Of Lost Island. .
| published in 1855, devOtes several pages TO
! these people. with whom he had an intimate
acquAntunce
Satisfied with their surroundings aud
condition. devoted 90 their homes aud home
parishes. aud dwelling In q region taround
| the mouths Of the Mississippi kiYsr) without
railroads and out Of the besten track Of travel
and commerce. these so-Called Malay"
have lived apart and unknown TO the world
I about thein TO an extent un"qualled by that
of their fellow race-mcmbers Ia the interior
! of Irluu Even Ia New Orleans II h. only
| OCCASIONALLY that one see or notices them
Louisiana j. = -tTang" state and attracts
strange ,oloutst-. and Of late YEAR Chinese
nav. settled 10 cous.dsrablr numbrrs along
tb. southern Louisiana coast. where they.
Too. .r- engaged ~ fishing while IA some
] Of tNs upper coa-t parishes q few Of thT EaHt
! D. .llu o%oDiirs. imported from 'al,uttl shortly
I uu.r the I,l Mar 10 NoTt ou sugar plauta-
rou- iu Jamaica aud loY-iana. haze re-
u.rrd. th' majority ui t~H 'outtfl men
! return ID hone after a." experiment tad
! proved 3D. fsiuTr. but thr-r 'iinau4"n and
.llI,s 49, rOt 90 b' 'uuluund"d With tie
.N.lsk ~lo I. -epafsts aud distinct from
] i.tH ITO south lpul-l. ua laral l- u 'atno.
] I, I'D -Istt- Spauitl. ahll' tl" m't" recent
/ a.H..r -rttl, ~ aud ,uuli's ats buddhlri-
uud 90. vur-hIpprf. .p"akluE ihr leo
subH ui rlt'rf 'hIa ur iIdH
o. I. rot frmarkaul' tiat llv'r lpuls
un.. rrs.Huius boz -o u4Ub r'HpH'ts rsfts
col t..I .t lud,- tud UrIuF % url adari'd
%. t.r ,IIfmH .HuId atiftH tu pHTrtal
IuI.lsI DH i..IHg tHt u4u Iium NaHh
us..H H.tsIIUF Noe ufu,aus cod suHs
u.u rfl g. ri Nalu ft rifsuvr s"Hld
nud 70 dn"Ht t. uHHft IIn..fh i.a' De-