The Washington times., 1901-09-08
QUEEN OF THE NEGRITos.
A Midget Filipino Tribe RuIed by a
Woman.

QUEEN OF THE NEGRITOS.
Midget Filipino Tribe Ruled by &
Woman.
Capt. 8. P. Lyon. of the Twenty
Infantry. is in the city at the home OF
Gen. Fl. F. Devol. Captain Lyons wife
was formerly Miss Mary Devol They
were married in 1896. Captain Lyon left
the Philippines July 20.
The people of the Philippine Islands
are beginning to take an interest in their
improved condition under American gov
ernmeot," said the captain yesterday.
They are showing a desire to improve.
They want to learn the better American
methods for tilling the soil. They show
this in their demand for better farm i'm
plements. But nobody knows how the
Filipinos actually feel toward the Amer
leans. When they find that you have a
'cinch' on them, they are delighted with
things. But what they think is another
story. However. they are showing the
tendency to improve, which, of course,
looks well.
The capture of Aguinaldo had a good
effect on the FilipiLos. There was not
much fighting just before the capture.
but when the leader was taken, most of
the active opposition ceased.
THE Philippines would not be a bad
place for Americans to live If they
adapted themselves to conditions. The
greatest danger there is from dysentery.
1t is a peculiar disease A man may have
1t for six months and not be aware of it.
He will feel no pain. He will steadily be-
come thinner. but there will be no other
Indication of his condition. Then all of
sudden he viii become violently LII and
die within three days. There is growth.
parasite. which is formed In his intes-
tines. This suddenly causes inflamma-
ton and then death. The disease comes
largely from the water which people
drink. All water ought to be boiled be-
fore it is consumed The army has more
time and opportunity now to look after
these things and the extent of this dis
ease among the Americans will be re-
duced.''
Captain Lyon went to the Philippines
two years ago as lieutenant in the Twen-
ty-fifth Infantry, and was stationed at
Zamba1es on the west coast of Illzon
He was recently promoted to the rank Of
captain. He will wait here until he re-
ceives orders from the War Department
to join his regiment the Tweuty-seventh,
at Plattsburg. N. Y Captain Lyon was
In Cuba in General Skaters army He
caught the yellow fever just outside San
tiago. and lay sick for time in the army
hospital at Siboney He was in Kansas
City while before starting for the
Orient
While sotourning IN Luzon CAPTAIN
Lyon became acquainted with some of the
peculiar tribes which inhabit the island.
He was telling yesterday about an odd
race OF natives which he found in the
mountains lying farther inland from the
point where he was stationed These were
the Negritos.
THE Negritos." said Captain Lyon. "are
almost midgets in stature. The men do
not average more than four and a half
feet in height. The women are even
shorter. The Japanese are small people,
but they are stoclSy and muscular. The
Negritos are slender and symmetrical in
form. They are built about like the aver
age American except as to height. They
are very active. They are savages. using
poisoned spears and arrows. The men and
the women wear only breech cloth for
clothing. They suffer in the rainy wealth
er just like animals, because they do not
know how to protect themselves any bet
houses each, and these houses are just as
diminutive as the people. These small
huts are made of thatch of grass or of
nipa, which is something like the palm
leaf.
II went once with some sNegritoS on
deer hunt. This was conducted in a most
c.-....f and unusual fashion. The ma
tives first built sort of trap. 1t was
Of 1Nyyn ax-
tended from either side of 1t like arms.
These were placed almost at right angles
to the centre fence. And between the two
wings or arms and the centre fence were
left gaps. which were guarded by natives
armed with spears. There were also men
with spears at the ends of each of the
wings. Some of these men were on horse
back.
THE great crowd OF Negritos on the
hunt scattered and drove the deer from a
long distance back toward this fence,
which is usually made of bamboo. When
the deer were gathered within the fences
the hunters shot them down with arrows.
Some of the deer, trying to push through
or leap over the fences, would be pinioned,
and then killed by the hunters. The ami
mails which tried to escape through the
openings between the sections of fence
were butchered by the men with spears.
THE Negritos live on the game which
they get in their hunts Occasionally
they make maraudins expeditions into
the valleys where the Filipinos live and
steal whatever they can find. They are
the pests of the Filipinos. The tribe with
which | came in contact was absolutely
by woman. She was half
Negrito and half Filipino. She was sort
Of queen. a woman past fifty years old
When she wanted man disposed of she
would be killed by her followers. There
would be no question about it.
There are a great many interesting
hings in the Philippine Islands for those
who explore them." said Captain Lyon
Kansas City Star.