The sun., 1903-06-14
THE APAYAOS OF BENGURT.
INTERESTING CUSTOMS or 4
PHILIPPINE TRIBE
Enth,iaisstic Account NJ the Benn'. OF the
Women Marriage Ceremonies
oldest Inhabitants Prtvileses-Or'
deal OF the Sick--SneeEfng Fesred.

| -.OIOeAl lnnaOV0OV'o TTNheo'~ W
deal OF the sick--sneehns Feared
| Ever since the Americans have had any
thing to do wit h affairs in the Philippines
| there has been talk Of the construction OF
| hill station In Benguet. a sort OF Philp-
| pine Simla, To which all sorts and conditions
' OF men and womsn might retreat during
| the hoe and vet months in the plains. The
Rrst talk of the establishment Of such a
station was accompanied by tales from the
Spaniards Of the terrible 'savages" who
inhabited that mountainous country.
The Americans coon learned that the
natives were not savage in the sense in
which that term has always been applied
to the North American Indians. The
Spaniarrls meant by 1t only that the peoples
to whom It was apple d had not been Chris
tianized The Americans also learned that
some Of the tribes were OF much interest .
The Apayaos, particularly. are people
OF old established customs. They build
good houses and take pains in the con-
struction OF their villages. They maintain
their gene gical records by keeping he
shield and arms OF the men. In some
houses travellers have found the arms
of fifteen generations. They conform
governed in nearly everything by the old
men OF the village in which they happen
to reside.
Like most Of The tribes of the Philippines.
the Apayaos are Of Malay descent. mixed
long ago with the native Negritos and with
Chinese. Their language is a mixture of
two or three dialecls. They are only a
few thousand in number and are employed
nj, tra1S In, vrtC
As Is the case with most OF the Indians,
as the Spaniards called them, the standard
Of morals Of the Apayaos Is surprisingly
high. from the white mans point OF Wow.
and remarkably we'll maintained
The man is generally tall and robust
and of astonishing agility. He ia . sour
visaged fellow. and has the reputation OF
being covartly. bloodthirsty and treach-
erous. That. however, is tho usual Span
ish estimate OF all the tribes in the Philip
pines and is no better borne out In the case
OF the Apaysos than 1t has been In the case
Of any OF the tribes which finally resented
the abuses and prosecutions Of Spanish
misrue.
The arms OF the Apayaos are principally
tho lance and how. but they sometimes
use a small. light handled, broad-bladed
hatohet. They are very fond Of cock
fghtng as al, Filipinos are. and devote
= great deal Of time to card playing.
They drink. sparingly however, wine
which they make from tho fermented juice
Of the sugar cane. The men are quite
likely to sit around the house smoking
and playing cards or getting up cock fights
while the women and children do the work
in the fields.
The Apayao woman has always excited
the admiration OF the white traveller. both
for her appearance and her disposition. She
is of small stature. usually very we'll formed.
An enthusiastic Spaniard In Manila who
had spent considerable time In tho villages
Of the Apayaos once put into fowery Cas-
tilian, for the benefit OF the writer, his
appreciation Of the Apayao woman. Rather
literally translated. this is what he wrote:
-She ie agile and graceful. Of the color
OF new minted copper. with black and
lustrous eyes, whose lids are beautifed by
long lsahes. She has heavy eyebrows
which give q certain beauty to her face.
and at the same time an indescribable
brilliance TO her glance. which apparently
10 int ended to fascinate the man upon whom
she fixes il. And it 10 my conception that
it is in these beautiful eyes OF hers that
this woman carries the compelling darts
Of love, that force which. as Gods own
work, lives to feed the heart here among
these savages even as it does among all
other people in the wide circuit OF the
world.
Her abundant hair, which she wears In
complete disorder-as the woman OF civili-
zation would say-she forms into cover
ing OF ebony with which she conceals. and
yet reveals. her bare and voluptuous bust.
Her broad forehead denotes the pleasant
| mesa OF her thoughts.
Her nose is straight and fne, the only
feature that seems to separate her from
her race. Her mouth is small and her lips
fine, but they are discolored from batel
chewing, aud her teeth are blackened by a
| bituminous substance which she prepares
from iron rust and the juice Of guava.
Her hands and feet ere small. but rough
and hard from being always bare Her
walk is truly graceful.
| Her voice is soft and musical and has a
mysterious cadence. but more than all,
th. woman has the good quality OF being
docile. charming, aRable and prudent
with which she captivates the sympathy
Of whoever knows her and by reason OF
which she is superior to the other Indians
OF her sex who live in the forests OF the
different provinces Of this archipelago
| The Apayaos are a homogeneous people
When a young man desires to marry he
wastes no time in making love to the woman
Of his choice. That is not necessary.
Among the Apayaos, as among the crowned
heads Of Europe, marriages are arranged
| And tho matter OF personal affection is
quite q secondary consideration.
The Apayao who has determined to be a
bridegroom fret consults his parents
II there happen. TO be slender young
woman who has attracted his fancy. he
mentions her to his eldeT. Otherwise
they max. the selection to smif themselves.
They proceed at once 10 negotiate a
contrac, with the parents Of the bride-to-be
the business requiring q pro'racted session
Of all hands, with the consumption of a
large quantity Of sugar cane wine and
venison. which it is the part OF tho yo,,na
man to supply. The partisans Of the hride
furnish numerous birds of pure white
plumage In token Of the character of the
young woman. That ends the business oi
the wooing and the match is made
The marriage follows at once. What
ceremony there is is performed by the
oldest man in the village. who simply de.
cIares In loud voice before the crowd