The Washington herald., 1907-03-17
AMONG LUZON WILDS
What a Scientist Saw in the
Head-hunting Country.
PEACEFUL AND MORAL FOLK
Remarkable System of Irrigation
Practiced by the IgOrOts I'm Rice
CuItivatiOn-Their UniIuc Method
of Striking Fire-NOt Head Hunting
All the Time-Whites Too Fearful.


bian Museum. who about ten months ago
started on an extensive tour through the
wild and little explored regions In the in
| terror of Luzon. by far the largest Of the
Philippine Islands, has just returned with
perhaps as complete set of specimens as
has been gathered among any savage
tribe, says the Chicago Chronicle. He has
brought to the museum tons Of material,
comprising more than 1900 articles repre-
sentative Of every phase OF life among the
head-huntiug and other tribes of this i'm
mense island now under the flag of the
United States
Some Of these specimens show astOnish-
ing ingenuity in the manufacture OF the
most finished appliances to meet the
needs OF the islanders. They show an
amount Of intelligence in certain lines
that 10 the self-c0mplacent white man
who looks upon these tribes as mere saw
ages. as sort Of inferior animal. is
simply astounding
The explorer, moreover, comes telling OF
a system Of irrigation perfected by these
tribes such as no other race has ever ap-
/ preached in its scientific perfection. Much
has been heard Of late years about the
wonderful system OF irrigation practiced
by the Japanese, but their work, says
Mr.. Simms, though similar in principle
10 that of the Igorot. does not compare
with the splendid systems by which the
/ Luz0n islander makes fertile the preeipl-
/ tous mountains which form so large a part
Of his country Mr. Simms. among hun
/ dreds Of photographs taken in the course
( Of his long journey through the island
/ has brought back a number Of startling
/ pictures Of these mountains over the en-
( tire surface Of whose steep and jagged
/ sides these wonderful agriculturists have
/ so spread and held in the water as 10
make every foot Of soil productive.
White Man Too Fearful.
/ Mr., Slmms spent much time among the
+ head-hunting tribes Of Northern Luzon.
/ of whom he said:
/ These people have seen little Of the
white man, and their opinion Of the
whitc-skinned races. from what they have
/ seen of them. is by no means hattering.
/ The reason? Well, principally because
the white traveller has had an exaggerated
idea Of the savagery Of the Igorot and has
consequently been afraid OF him. This
| fear has caused what few travellers these
lgOrots have seen TO 90 about heavily
armed and in force. Such a course has
led TO dislike and distrust of the white
man on the part OF the more remote tribes
among the natives, and their dislike is net
UnmiXed with contempt
The fact is, the lgOrot, though fierce
enough in battle, is not going about all
the time looking for heads He IS content
10 take them among his foes IN war, Here
are some Of the baskets they make espe-
cially for carrying away the heads taken.
No. 1 don't suppose one Ct the baskets
would hold more than two heads. but II is
seldom they would be required TO- An
IgorOt who takes one head from an en-
emy is proud enough OF 1t and pretty well
satisfied
"As a matter Of fact. they use the bas-
kets for the most part for other purposes.
such as carrying rice when on the trail
'lgOrot. by the way. is the correct
spelling OF the word, not Igorrote. The
shorter spelling. emanatlng from Manila,
is agreed upon by the authorities II is
used by Prof. Worcester. who is the lead
ing authority upon matters relating 20 the
Philippine islanders. and in all the scien-
tific work carried on under the govern
ment.
The meaning? Well, it is now used
rather loosely and applied generally as
deuoting the natives Of the islands The
original meaning Of the word was man.
like that Of many similar words whose
meaning has been similarly broadened.
BannwIans Great HeHd Hunters.
THE Igorots Of Banawi and of Nueva
Viscaya province generally are notable
head hunters. They are Of the short
haired tribes. while the Lubuagans are
long haired and differ in many respects
from the hercer tribes OF the north.
"Of course, the Igorots seen here on ex-
hibition were taken from among those
natives who We're close TO the American
settlements. and had seen more or less
of civilization. Naturally, they are very
different from the natives Of the interior
The food of the Igorot consists almost
exclusively of rice They grow immense
crops of il, and store it in large quanti-
ties Much Of It is boarded for long
time. as it improves with age. It is their
great staple. All other foods are merely
delicacies to them. There is one other
articles Of diet I should mention, however
which they use to a great extent 1t IS
the sweet potato, or camote, as they call
II.
This continuous diet Of rice causes I'm
many of them a pTOtuberance OF the
stomach. which in the small children is
often very amusing. Here is a picture I
took Of one little fellow with the banana
belly as IL is called.
The children wear nothing until they
are about ten years old. When they
adopt clothing II is only the gee string
r1aan nd
scanty skirt for the girl or woman. They
use blankets when It is cold. shifting
them from shoulder to shoulder Some
of these blankets show great artistic skill
in their design and workmanship. In the
planting season, even the women work
entirely nude, except for a girdle and a
few leaves.
IEorots a Moral Race.
However, the women are peculiarly
viTtuOus. They have a very strange
method Of courtship and marriage At an
early age the young men and women do
not sleep in the homes of their parents.
but in large houses set apart for them.
There they meet, and when one of the
young women bears a child she becomes
the wife of its father. From that time
she is a model wife
At the head Of each pueblo or ranch |
ereTa-What we would call a settlement or
village-there is now presidente an Of
ficer appointed by the American govern |
ment there. who is responsible for the
good conduct OF his village He is given |
a white coat of cotton material and a /
staff, which is his emblem of office. and
of which he is very proud In fact. YOU
will never see him without H. He has
his henchmen who do his bidding. and
aid in the government of the pueblo.
As I approached a pueblo / would al /
ways be met by the presidente and