Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-05-15
PHILIPPINE ABoRIGINEs.
Arc a Race. of Black Dwarfs known
as "Nigritos'' or Little Negroes,
Translated.

TRANSLATED.
bureau of non-Christian tribes of the
Philippines, in a report received at
the war department on the ethnol-
ogy of the Philippines, concludes that
while the great majority of the popu-
Iation is unqestionably of Malayan
origin, the aboriginal race of the
archipelago is the dwarf black peo-
pie, known as 'sNegritos," or little
negroes. He says that the people of
this race are almost the smallest on
the globe and are true savages. says
the New York Sun. 1t was thought
that their numbers were dwipdling
and that not more than 10000 re
NAMED in the island. but inquiry
shows not less than 10000 of these
dwarfs. Some of them average four
feet in height, but the greater num-
Der are under three feet. They feed
upon roots and small game, and do
not live in villages, but roam through
the mountains in small groups of
few families each. They are timid
and fearful of approach, and yet to 8
certain extent are feared by the more
civilized tribes. Mr.. Barrow says:
.'The number of problems pre-
sented to the ethno1ogist by these lit
tie blacks is almost bewildering
What place have they in the evo1.
ton of man? Their identity with
the Sakais of the Malay peninsula
and the Mincopies of the Andaman
islands, is almost certain, but what
is their relation to those other pig
mies-the dolichocephalic dwarfs OF
Central Africa? And further, what
may be their connection with the
true negro race of Melanesia, almost
contiguous to them? The geograph
distribution of the Negritos is such
that we must conclude that at one
time they were practically sole pos
SCISSORS of the Philippine archipelago
and unquestionably the first to ar
rive and to dispute their possession
of the soil and to drive them into
tn mountainous interiors which they
now occupy were the tribes of pri
mitive Malayans, which still consti
tute the most considerable element
of the non-Christian population of the
islands,
In contrast to the dwarfs are the
tribes in the vicinity of the Gulf OF
Davao and Mount Apo in eastern
Mindanao. They are very tall, with
hair wavy rather than straight, q
narrow and prominent nose and a
color of skin approaching that of the
Polynesians, and, according to Mr.
Barrows, they are another nonmay.
1ayan element. He describes the
seven Christian tribes, the Moham-
medan Malays and other Malayan
peoples, and says:
"Of such diverse and varied ele.
ments, then, is the population of the
Philippines composed. Of the mix
lures with Chinese and European
blood it is unnecessary to speak fur
they present is equally great for the
ethnologist and the statesman. Since
the first arrival of the Portuguese in
easten waters the mind of the Malay
has appeared to the European as a
closed book. Both races have ever
misunderstood and mistrusted each
other. Out of mutual ignorance and
fear have followed hatred, oppression
and retaliation. In the establish
| ment of order in these islands this
government is attempting to rear a
| new standard of relationship between
| the white man and the Malay. The sue
| cess of this effort, so full of posi-
| bilities for the future of life and IN
| tercourse in the far east, will depend
| in a large measure on our correct
understanding and scientific grasp Oh
| the peoples whose problems we are
| facing"
He opposes very strongly the APP
| plication of the Indian reservation
scheme to the Moros, and says that
his inquiries into the treatment OF
The Indians in this country have sat
isfied him that, in spite of excellent
intentions, the policy has not
brought forth satisfactory results
and Gin a thousand cases has not
done justice to the Indian"