Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-04-29
REMARKABLE SAVAGES
DR.. EDwORDS DESCRIBES HOW IGOR.
ROTES HAVE DEVELOPED ART OF
CULTIVATION.
Mountains Encirclsd With Irrigated and
Fertilized Terraces for Rice Culture.
Race Lacking Even Signs and
Symbols for Communication
Execute Wonders Of
Civil Engineer.
inf.

ing.
Manila, P. l., April 90 The most
colossal undertaking in an industrial
way. in the Philippines. and perhaps
the most stupendous task ever accom-
plished by a thoroughly savage race,
is to be found in the marvellous rice
terraces in the mountains of central
and northern Luzon island Here the
Igorrotes have built terraces for the
growing of rice, like giant steps up
the steep mountain sides of canyons
to height of three Thousand feet or
more. These terraces, each of which
is flooded with water at certain sea-
sons of the year, are wonderful feats
of engineering; sometimes they fol-
low the contour of canyons for dis
tance of half mile without varying
6wo inches from a dead level The
summit of the retaining wall of each
terrace is so arranged as to be about
fifteen inches above water level, and
at times of flooding, it is found that
this condition is invariably complied
with.
The Igorrotes are the most remark
able of all the pagan races of the
Philippines. Perhaps no people.
either savage or civilized, have ever
further developed the art of intensive
cultivation of the soil. None, so far
as DOW known, have ever progressed
as far in methods of irrigation as
many of the Igorrote communities In
these regions the Igorrotes run the
streamlets which have been DETECTED
for irrigation. through mass of man
ure, decaying vegetable loan, ashes,
black alluvial soil. and then conduct
it to their rice paddles. as the success
sive tops of the rice terraces are
called. They thus fertillze and irri-
gate the land in one operation, since
the water thus enriched, carries with
itself the fertilizing elements and by
forceeof gravity distributes them even
| ly wherever it comes in contact with
the soil. This is decided advance
over methods in use in many of the
civilized countries, where the fel tiliz-
er is first laboriously distributed over
the soil and then most of it washed
away when the irrigating water is
turned on.
In some places the Igorrotes have
circled mountains thousand feet or
more in height with successive ter
races, each terrace going completely
around the mountain. Often, too,
these terraces are not built up from
the soil Dut are carved out of solid
rock on which the soil is afterward
placed. The terraces are an inspiring
sight. Viewed in connection with
the primative condition of the people,
there is nothing like them in the
world. The pyramid of Oheops, the
tallest ''sky scraper' of New York
would appear Insignificant beside
these clear-cut, Herculean achieve
ments of the simple, ancestor wor-
shipping Igorrotes. Some may COM
pare the terraces of the Igorrotes with
the terraces of Japan, but in neither
size, perfection of workmanship. nor
the overcoming of obstacles can the
work in Japan compare with these.
In lava, and also in parts of Central
America there are terraces for culti-
walton, but in neither instance do they
compare with those in the Philip
pines.
The men who built these terraces,
the head hunting Igorrotes, were prob
ably a weak and timid race when
driven to the mountains by the sea-go-
ing Malay races of centuries ago, but
today thew are a strong, physically
developed people. and though kind
hearted and pleasant to foreigners,
they are fierce in their wars upon ad-
jacent tribes. The villages of these
Igorrotes are surrounded by the ter
races, and the yield is so abundant
that in case OF siege the villagers are
plentifully provisioned from the rice.
The remarkable advance made by
these Igorrotes indicates that it is
within the power of the Malays to
make great Industrial advances. The
Igorrotes are much less advanced than
were the mound builders of America,
for their worship is among the most
primative known, and the terrace
building Igorrotes have no written.
means of communication. even lack
ing signs and symbols such as the
cave dwellers of America had. Yet
they have executed wonders of civil
engineering and practice more scien-
tific methods of irrigation and ferti-
lization than any civilized country.
Many writer's have assumed that
law ana morality among the wild
tribes of the Philippines is lax. On
the contrary. among the most of the
tribes their observance is most rigid.
Among the pagan Igorrotes the PEN
atty of adultery is death Contracts
are strictly interpreted according to
their equity. An Igorrote who pur-
chases rice paddy for forty hogs will
not be made to pay IL there he a farl Il
ty title. Although he may pnYe>
a quit-ciaim for an amount H q
by tribal council. 80