The Florida star., 1902-08-22


Hamlets.
Lieutenant De Clairmont of the Phil
ippine scouts. who recently returned to
the United States, tells in the New
York Herald of white race found in
the island of Mindoro. His story in
part follows:
Hidden in the heart of Mindoro,
reached only by secret and difficult
trails, guarded by fC: men strongly
armed, live race of people as white
as you and /. There seems only one
plausible theory of the origin of such
a race. Centuries ago the Philippine
Islands formed continuous chain
reaching TO the mainland before vol
canic disturbances caused the connect
ing links in the chain TO disappear and
the group to be parted from the coun-
tries of the world. and it may have
been before that parting that this
white people or their fOrefathers found
their way to the island of Mindoro.
An upheaval cut them off, we will
suppose, from the land that they had
left, and there they settled. making the
best of the situation. They shut them
selves in, safe from intrusion in their
mountain businesses. They taught their
children to resent mtrusion; they
taught their children's children. 1t is
Il part of their creed to he sufficient to
themselves. And yet. without commu-
nication with the big. enterprising
world, they have maintained a certain
degree of civilization. They are intel
ligent, quick to catch new ideas. peace
full when not attacked. virtuOus. indus
trious and domestic.
The knowledge of this strange peo-
pie came to me through Filipino ma
tive whose word is good. He has seen
these people; he has been one of the
few to know them and have frequent
communication with them. What he
told me was upheld by the priest and
the presidente of his province. Manuel
Castro's story is wonderful one.
"Do you know" said Castro, that
the island of MindOro has a white race
OF its own? The people are as white
as you. Dress them in your garments,
and they would pass for Americans"
Then he told me OF the strange
whites, for he goes to their outlying
hamlets to trade with them and has
done SO for a long time. He is one of
the few outsiders allowed within their
guarded boundaries.
Unless | had gone with friendly
feeling and made them know it would
never have got inside or else | should
never have come away again." said
Castro. THE Spanish have tried to
reach them several times, but they
have gone armed. Therefore they have
always met with disaster. Their guard
system is perfect. The center OF their
colony is the main town. OF something
like 10000 population. This is sur
rounded by circle of hamlets of 200
or 800 inhabitants each. They are built
with only ten on fifteen miles between
each.
when alarm of an approach is re-
ceived in one OF these hamletS, runners
are sent out TO all the rest. making a
complete chain. The news is carried
fast. All the circle of villages is up in
arms. Men with strange, ancient
weapons are ready. If the intruder
tries 10 force an entrance, Il swift, well
aimed arrow greets him, its point pade
deadly with poison. IL lie should es-
cape this. he comes upon IN array of
spears and knives The latter are
curved like scimitcrs ana are welded
by these people with deadly skill. If
You approach with hostility, YOU will
fancy them 10 be the most terrible saw
ages, but go in peace and you will find
them people Of much advancement,
far above the 'Filipinos."
Castro spoke of them with great
pride, He boosted OF their beauty.
strength and courage. Their women
are wonderfully beautiful, he says.
They are tall. as Filipino reckons
height, being over five feet. They are
athletic AMI graceful. They wear
loose robe falling from their shoulders
and hpltcd with cord of banana fiber.
Their hair IS worn sometimes flowing,
sometimes coiled on the top of the
head as gracefully rs 4 European wo-
man would coil hers. The men, he
says. are splendid specimens of man
hood, being much over five feet III
height. They wear n short pair or
breeches and are naked above the
waist Many Of them have curling
hair. All are fair haired and blue eyed.
The cOloring OF the people. their re-
markable intelligence, their skill In
certain simple arts. their grace and
strength and beauty, their love or
sports-all these things were character
49, 80 tho Crooks of ancient ciyiliZa-