The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-25
TRAVEL WITH
LIGHT GRIPS
FlLIPINos EN- TOUR CARRY LIT.
TILE BAGGAGE.
ToBAccoAND TATTOO MARKS
Delegation Of Islanders to St. Louis
Create Sensation by Airiness
Of Attire.

OF Attire.
If some of those who are clamoring
for independence and self-goyernment
Tor the Filipinos were at the Northern
Pacific station last Wednesday morn
ing they probably left with minds
changed or modified to considerable
degree. Even good democrats were
heard to remark that taken as repre-
sentative of the different tribes of the
islands the trainload of natives that
passed through here that morning
they were more fit to be herded on
reservations than to be entrusted with
the duties and responsibilities OF
government. AS an chronological ex-
/hibit, however, the band was a sue
cess and attracted as much attention
as wild Indian would in the resi-
dence portion of Boston. The differ
ence between it's members and the
old-time Indian was not so great as
the enemies of the national admins
tration might wish. A majority mani
tested the same contempt for civilized
garb and the same primitive indiffer-
ence for the conventionalities. The
expanse of smile they wore, the bril-
liancy of the tatooing on face and
body and the gaudy hues OF their
breech clouts and calico shirts, in their
unsophisticated minds no doubt con-
stituted raiment as brave and elabo,
rate as ever was worn on the most
festal occasion. Children of nature,
they knew no better and cared for
no more, Notwithstanding that the
cutting wind of a Montana March
may have impigned itself on the ex-
posed flesh in marked contrast to the
balmy breezes of the tropics.
Different Tribes Represented.
The party numbered 225 and was
in charge of several agents of the
government, who brought it over from
the islands as part of the Filipino
exhibit at the st. Louis exposition.
1t represented the Besaynas, Igorotes
and Nigritos. Two branches of the
IgOrotes were in evidence. The Be-
saynas were representative of the
higher civilization of the natives,
while the Nigritos were probably the
lowest. The Igorotes were what
might be called the intermediary
scale. They are the mountain tribes
men and are head hunters, and also
have the reputation of being canni-
balls, when the opportunity to indulge
in feasts of "long pig" is favorable.
An American who had acquired
their language was in charge of them
He said that at home they were brave
and warlike, but since he left with
them they had proved docile and
tractable and awed by the many
strange people and sights they had
seen. AS described by him the Igor
otes have many of the traits and char
acteristics of the American Indian.
The bow and arrow and spear are
their weapons and they are great
hunters. They have dances some
thing akin to those of the Indians
and dancing enters into almost every
thing connected with their lives. No
expedition is undertaken without a
preliminary dance and the success of
a hunting or war party is also cele-
brated with dancing.
The countenances of the men and
women are strongly suggestive of the
Malayan origin to which they are
traced. They are much darker than
the coast tribes, but not so dark as
the Nigritos.
The Besaynas plainly show the ad-
mixture of Asiatic blood, both in COM
plexion and features. In fact, they
look and act like the ordinary Chi
nese with which the people of the
west are familiar. In stature they
are taller than the other tribes, but
even the tallest is not much, If any
larger than a white boy Of Is of 16
years. The women in particular affect
considerable of the Chinese in dress
and wear their hair much after the
manner of the China women.
One thing the different tribes have
in common is their fondness for to-
bacco. Men, women and children
smoke, some huge, black cigars, others