The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-05

two peoples, who are entirely separate
and distinct. The Moros are Moham-
medans similar to the people of the
East Indies, while, as is well known,
the Filipinos are of the Catholic faith
| Indeed, nothing could be a greater in
suit TO a Filipino than to take him for
Moro, and in no way could one so
| anger a Moro as to call hin. Filipino.
THE FilipinOS have shown them
selves to have ideas of humor and to
| be amenable to civilization as America
| has taken it to them, but the Moros
| give no promise of ever being anything
better than they now are. Although
| they weave wonderful fabrics from
| their cotton, which they raise in abun-
dance, they have to be compelled not
only by law, but for force, to wear the
clothing made from it. They prefer to
wind it into Wondrous turbans around
their heads, showing thereby to what
tribe they belong and what their datto
or presidente orders. They live, Of
| course, ON fish and rice alone their
laws forbidding the eating of flesh,
which gives rise to the jingle:
80 The presidentes cut no ice
For they live on fish and rice
And do other things the padres think
| are wrong
Huts in the Water.
Their houses are shacks built of
cocOanut fibre, in water largely and
they go between them in a binta (pro-
nounced vinta) from which they do
their fishing-of which more anon
| Their clothing, when they can be in
duced to put it on, consists of a large
| sack woven without seam and open at
either end. This is doubled on itself
and drawn onto the body where they
think they want it, and in times of
storm it is unfolded and drawn over
the head and shoulders. OF course the
feet and legs are always unclothed, but
not bare, for anklets are a necessary
part of the dress. Indeed, the love of
! jewelry is marked, as in all savages.
| 'They have one other article which
is indispensable, the betel nut sack,
which is crescent shaped and is worn
slung over the hip. From this they
take the beteI nut and, wrapping it in
| a leaf of green tobacco chew the sub
stance into a pulp. Streams, apparent
ly of gore flow down their chins from
this process and this, with their teeth
blackened and highly polished, gives
them a horrible look.
No Peace Among Them.
There is never any degree of peace
among the MOrOs. They are called by
the Filipinos 'bagobans,' or head-hunt-
ers. Their plan is to bring in heads to
their datto and when a man has Sc
cured three heads he is entitled to wear
a special mead dress made of white cot
ton cloth through which has been
thrust innumerable fine sticks which
are tied into small knots and then the
entire piece dyed a deep reddish brown.
When the sticks are removed small
ton cloth through which have been
white spots are seen scattered over the
dark cloth, and this crude article is
sacred to the man who has presented
three heads to his datto. The heads in
question need not be heads of white
men, of course, for this head-hunting
has gone on for ages.
Cockfights Main Pleasure.
with all their cruelty they are an
amusement-loving people, but such
amusement as would shock others.
Cock fighting is their chief pleasure
The cock fights are always attended
once by every one who goes to the ISL
ands. The place is arranged similarly
to our circus tents and is large enough
to accommodate a great number. 1t is
really large shack built high, and en-
closing the cock pit, which is fenced in
with willows. The two cocks, petted
and fondled till they are perfectly tame
with their owners, are in plain sight of
the entire company and each has a gaff
bound to his leg. After they have been
pitted against each other till their
wrath is melted, they are thrust at
one another and the fight begins. Some
times the game chicken falls over as If
dead and, regaining his feet. continues
to fight till ne is either killed or driven
from the ring, when the fight ends
Sometimes both are killed. The sport
is INDUCED in by the highest classes of
Filipinos, as well as the low Moros
Sunday afternoon is the time set, after
the religious services have freed them
for the day. The old datto sits in the
ring near the fighting birds and holds
the stakes. The piles of pecos are
stacked around him and the betting
goes on. In spite of the cruelty of the
scene it is ludicrous to see the old hid
eous men, the owners of the slain or
wounded birds. weep over their pets
/ and hold them to their breasts when
they are beaten
Fishing Is Fine Sight.
1.-THE finest sight to be seen in the
whole land is the fishing at Zamboan-
ga. The natives fish at night skim
ming about in their little bintas like
firef1ies. In the bow of the boat sits a
woman bearing a torch of shredded
bamboo, which makes a brilliant light
on the water for long distance. This
lights up the ocean TO great depth
and the fisherman with his long spear
reaches the fish easily. The bay al
Zamboanga is fairly afiame with these