Evening star., 1902-02-19
BATANES OF MINDORO
WHITE NATIVES OF ONE OF THE
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
English Shipwrecked Sailors Cast
Ashore Where Town Of
Sablayan Stands.
From the Manila American.

From the Manila American
Many years ago, perhaps three centuries.
large sailing ship left one of the ports in
old England, bound for the Philippines The
cruise was to last at least ten months and
probably longer. The hold was well filled
with a cargo of cloth, tobacco and other
goods being carried for the purpose OF
trading with the natives of the Philippine
afcnlpeago, who were then living in
savage state, with the exception, perhaps,
of those around Manila, who for about a
century had come in contact with the Span.
iards. To man the ship was a crew of near.
ly 100 hearty men from the British Isle,
some of them old salts who had followed
the sea all their lives, while others were on
their first trip. For the old-timers each
new day tnat set in seemed like the first
while 10 those who had left their homes
for the first time to make trip of so many
months each day grew longer and more
lonesome. AT the end of several months the
beautiful green islands of the Philipnines
were sighted and finally the ship was cruis.
ing along the coast of what Is now Mndoro,
out unknown in those early days.
Trading With Natives.
Several stops were made. boats being sent
ashore and the men doing some trading with
the natives receiving for their goods gold,
pearls and valuable wood. The natives who
are now known the ''Manguianes"
treated the sailors very nicely. being very
hospltable. The vessel sailed around the
island for days. the crew little thinking
OF the typhoon being prepared for them
above.
Finally, one dark night, a storm broke out
which took away spars, rigging and every
movable thing from the deck. At daylight
the next morning the vessel was upon the
shore, q total wreck.
All the crew safely landed ashore In
small boats, carrying with them food. All
that day and several others they stood
upon the shore keeping lookout for any
passing ship, but not a single one or any
single sign Of habitation could be seen.
l. was water before them and the tropical
jungles at their backs.
A town (Sablayan) has since been built
anu marks the memorable spot.
AT the end of eight days the shipwrcc cked
crew made their way inland and were soon
receiving the hospitality of the Man
guianes," who made the sailors feel at
home, and this marked the beginning Of
the tribe now known as the "Batanes'
Amalgamation.
The men soon had wives from among the
'Manguianes'' women. and finally built
village, where children. nearly all being
white, were born to them, and, although
this may be the fifth or sixth generation,
English blood still dominates In many cases.
Although the two tribes intermarred q
great deal, they managed to live in sep.
arate villages and maintain their tribe
name, the whites being called Batanes
(which means strangely and have their
own chief. who is called Oinda. And today
when speaking about his grandparents he
does not say OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES grand-
father, but speaks Of his forefathers as
though they had been dead only week.
and he also speaks of how his forefathers
We're wrecked, telling 1t as though the af-
fair was Of late occurrence, which makes
1t appear as though the "Batanes" had a
history which was handed down from one
generation to the other. However, this ts
one tribe that has some traces of III
ancestors.