Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-27
MANY WILD TRIBES
Uncivilized People Of the
Philippines.
IN THREE GLASSES
COMPOSE NINETY SEPARATE Or
CARNATIONS.
They Inhabit and Control About One
Halt Of the Territory Of
the Archipelago.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
MANILA. June 20. 1904.
The census Of 1903 estimates the popula-
ton of the wild tribes of the Philippine
archipelago to be about 100000. but it was
| naturally impossible to enumerate them.
There are thirty distinct tribes and ninety
nine separate organizations. and they in
habit and control about one-half of the en-
tire territory. They are divided into three
classes. First. the non-Christian tribes of
the interior. upon whom the missionaries
and the Spaniards were able to make but
little impression; second the Christianized
tribes along the coast who adopted Spanish
civilization and were converted to the RO-
man Catholic faith: and third. the Mo-
hammedans. over whom the Spaniard were
never able to exercise more than nominal
authority, and whose faith In the Prophet
Mahomet has never been shaken by Chris
tian missionaries.
The Pigmies.
All of these classes are of Malay origin
except perhaps the pigmies. a race of black
dwarfs called Negritos Qittle negroes). who
are true savages. relying for food entirely
upon wild plants and wild animals roam
ing through the forests in small bands of
a few families having no fixed places of
abode and no shelter except the skin tents
or tepees they carry with them. They num-
Der about 10000, and their death rate and
birth rate must be closely parallel, as they
seem neither to increase nor to decrease.
These fuzzy-wuzzy men are said TO be OF
smaller stature than any other distinct
race. smaller than the pigmies OF
Central Africa, and while they have erin
killed. hair and black skins. their features and
the African type Notwithstanding their
small stature they are hercer and more
feared by the civilized inhabitants than any
other of the savage tribes upon the islands
Ethnologists have not been able to iden-
tify them with any other race. They are
certainly very different from the pigmies
of Africa 1t Is believed that they are the
aboriginies and originally the sole inhab-
itants of the Philippine archipelago I'm
questionably they preceded the Mayalans,
who now constitute much larger proper
ton of the population. There must be a
great deal of vitality in this simple fear
less race of dwarfS. who have been able to
hold their own for centuries against fnva-
sions of Malays. MongOls and Caucasians.
and to preserve their aboriginal habits ana
customs against all outside influences. Per-
haps this Is due chiefly to their exclusive
ness. They will not intermarry or inter-
mingle with other tribes or races: they will
not adopt civilized customs. clothing or
methods; they will not admit strangers to
their camps. and they avoid contact with
the more civilized inhabitants Of the is
lands. In 1850 Chau Yu-Kua, Chinese
historian and traveller, wrote Of them:
They build their nests In the tree tops,
and in each nest lives a family, which con-
sists of from three to five persons. They
travel about in the densest thickets of the
forests. and, without being seen themselves.
shoot their arrows at every paSser-by. For
this reason they are much feared. II
a trader throws them small porcelain
bowl they will stoop down to catch it. and
then run away with it, shouting joyfuiIy.'
Customs of the Negritos.
The NegIitos still adhere to the palm
wood bow, the culver of poisoned arrows
and the lance of bamboo pointed with iron
as their weapons of war. Their food con-
sists chiefly of fish, fruits and roots Being
notorious cattle thieves. they often raid
the herds In the valleys on the borders of
civilization and capture cattle. which they
drive to hidden pastures in the mount aims
They raise rice and corn. but do very little
farming. scratching the soil with a stick
throwing in the seed and leaving the rest
to nature. Their household utensils are
made chiefly of cOcOanut shells and sea
shells, and they keep their simple property
in pine boxes which they secure in the VII
lagos on the frontier. They supply nearly
all their own wants They have no money
and do not seem to care for it, being able
to secure all the rice and ammunition they
use in exchange for wild honey. wax and
other natural products of the forests Like
other SavageS. they are fond Of ornaments,
and make themselves rings and bracelets Of
silver. gold, brass and copper: they wear
feather head dresses. and girdles and leg
bands made of hogs bristles brilliantly
dyed 1t is their custom to mutilate them
selves with knives and keep the gashes
open until skin has formed over the raw
flesh. as scars are esteemed the highest
ornament.
The Igorrotes.
rba iba of
hunting savages in the interior mountains
of northern Luzon who are nearly much
above the ordinary stature Of mankind as
the Negritos are below it. They are famous
for their endurance. their great strength
and their physical development. They have
large bones. splendid frames. muscular
limbs. deep chests. high cheek bones. fiat
noses. thick lips. long. straight black hair
and a copper-cOlOred skin similar to that
of the North American Indians. Their hair
hangs down upon the shoulders. but in
front 1t is cut with bangs hanging over
their foreheads Some Of them have
scanty beard upon their chins and upper
lips The women are famous for their
shapely figures and their erect and graceful
carriage. although their faces are fiat and
unintereSting
The Spaniards ignored the problem of
their education and civilization. A few
missionaries went among them from time
to time. and frequently military expeditions
invaded their settlements for the purpose
of keeping them under subsection, but for
375 years they refused to accept the reli-
gion or the clothing the government of
the Spaniards, and will undoubtedly resist
any attempts on the part of the Americans
to Christianize or civilize them. The knowl-
edge and wisdom they have inherited from
their fathers satisfies them; they fail to see
any advantage to themselves in adopting
the manners and the methods of white
men: they do not appreciate our standards
of civilization. and manifest no interest In
eP,,f- vnrAn Esrvr0
or American with distrust and hostility.
and the Spaniards were never able to con-