The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Part 16

They cut their hair to a little fringe on the forehead, and shave themselves. Their teeth are dyed black in order to distinguish them from the Christians.

The Smal Moros dress in pantaloons that are tight from top to bottom.

The Moro will not eat flesh, [120] unless the imam sacrifices the animal, and performs the Sumblig.

The Moros are dirty, lazy, fickle, importunate, stingy in giving, and fond of conversation and amus.e.m.e.nts.

They fight without giving quarter, and in the attack, advance, stop, give ground, leap, creep among the cgon, [121] cover themselves with their shields, etc.

In their wars against the Spaniards or Christians, they build forts defended by ditches, and invested with thick earthen walls. They are fierce and bold, and when dripping with blood they fight until death on the field of battle, impelled by their hatred toward the Christian or Spaniard.

Below are some verses of a song of theirs which was dictated to me by a Moro chief, so that your Reverence may better see the hatred with which they fight. [122]

Pagcalanta ac is Un canto entonar Saliban Suan da sa Que es del Saliban Sauan Sbab aun scut dasa. Para tener suerte Tumulak ac salasa. Al embarcarme el mrtes.

Maluag can sanchata Busca las lantacas Bacucs in sacay in sa Las armas en la embarcacion Bisan uay bantata Y aunque no haya enemigos Marayao paab quita. Bueno es star prevenidos.

Yari Saliban Sauan Este Saliban Sauan Mallo pa Zamboangan V para Zamboanga Bisan uay dangat Aunque no haya comercio Midda pa subangan. Volver p.r.o.nto.

Castila piagayu Al castila pidi Simacat na tinuyo Subi con traicion Catacus niangayu Sus armas pidi Ynacujan sa nag buno. Se las cogi con la muerte.

Aco catcal magbuno na Yo siempre pelear Ampa lasa aun co na Y hasta gusto tendr si caigo Bauk aco dumungu na Arrostrar el peligro Sagui na Bismil-l. En nombre de Dios.

Jida manung lasap Tengo gusto en hablar Magcalis samsil dasak Esgrimir con valor el cris afilado Minsan co dugu nasak Y aunque mi sangre corra por el suelo Limagut parrn lisak. Tajear al oir tocar.

A song I will chant, Which is that of the Saliban [123] Sauan, In order that I may have luck At my sailing on Tuesday.

Look after the lantacas, The weapons at embarking; And though there are no enemies It is wise to be prepared.

This Saliban Sauan Is going to Zamboanga; Although there is no trade, He will return quickly.

He begged from the Castilian; He mounted treacherously; The Castilian demanded his arms; He got them with his death.

Ever will I fight, And even glad will I be if I fall; I will encounter danger In the name of G.o.d.

I take pleasure in talking; I will fight valiantly with my keen kris; And although my blood is poured on the ground, I will slash on hearing it fall.

The language that they speak consists of Taglog, Visayan, and Malayan words. But they make no difficulty about changing, omitting, and adding letters and syllables.

This is as much as I have to tell your Reverence. Pray excuse me for not having written before, for I have already stated the reason. I beg you to overlook the faults of this doc.u.ment.

I have no time to copy it, for I have to go to Jol.

Your Reverence's most affectionate servant in Christ,

Pablo Cavalleria, S. J.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER WRITTEN BY FATHER PABLO PASTELLS TO THE FATHER PROVINCIAL, JUAN CAPELL, S. J. [124]

Manila, April 20, 1887.

... Now considering Mindanao under its social and political aspect, its population is divided into Christians, heathens, and Moros, all of whom proceed in general from the Malay, Indonesian races, [125]

and the indigenous or Negrito race, and from crosses of the same races among themselves and with other superior races, especially the Chinese and Spaniards. The Christians are divided into old and new. The old Christians number about 186,000, and occupy in the ethnographical map accompanying our letters, the place represented by color no. 1. Their customs smell of the greater or less familiarity that they have or have had with the heathens from whose races they proceed. Without the powerful and efficacious influence of religion one would note in them a marked tendency to idleness, drunkenness, gambling, and l.u.s.t. On the other side they are naturally hospitable, docile, and generous. They are pious in the performance of their religion. In their family and married life considerable morality is observed when there exist no rocks of scandal in the villages. I have observed in certain parish books which register more than two hundred baptisms per year, that two or three years pa.s.s without the notice of a single natural child. [126] They are given to the cultivation of rice, abac, sugar-cane, coffee, tobacco, bananas, lumbias, cocoa-palms, and other fruit trees, and to that of tubers such as sweet potatoes, gabe, and aror, which are an article of prime necessity for them in times of famine. They extract mastic and other resins, as for example piao and gusog, and refine the oil of cocoanuts, biao, and balao, but do not extract castor or peanut oil as they are ignorant of their use. [127] Wax and honey are very abundant. From the latter, and from sugar-cane, nipa, cocoanuts, rice and cabo negro they prepare their drinks, and their vinegars from the last named and from camagon. [128]

They also get salt from sea-water by means of rapid evaporation. [129]

In general, the men are farmers, but among them there are carpenters, smiths, metal workers, masons, tailors, and even some who devote themselves to the making of weapons. The women weave the filaments of pia, tindog, [130] abac, cotton, and silk. They embroider and sew most delicately and tastefully. In certain seasons of the year, many Indians of the coasts, travel and fish especially for sea-turtles, whether they have any sh.e.l.l or not. [131]

They live in humble houses of nipa, bamboo, and even of wood, which are quite luxurious among the most powerful. The animals that they use for their work, conveyance, and travel are the carabao, the ox, and the horse. Their implements for farming are reduced to the plow and the bolo. Their domestic animals are the dog, cat, c.o.c.k, and swine. Their games are c.o.c.kfighting, cards, and sipa, a hollow ball of split bamboo, which they move with the feet. They also use dancing as a means of diversion, especially the moro-moro dance and the tapiron. During their princ.i.p.al feasts, they adorn their houses with hangings and hold modest banquets. They are very fond of excitement and noise, especially that caused by fireworks. Their usual cutting weapons are the hatchet, sndan, lgdao, kris, campilan, tabas, and the bad for the women. The missile weapons are the spear which may be of four kinds, namely, pyus, bdiac, linyas, and pinuipui; arrows of bamboo, palma brava, [132] iron, and steel. Those weapons used both for cutting and thrusting are balaraos or two edged daggers, whose hilts and scabbards are usually adorned with various designs in silver engraved by themselves. The boats used by them are vintas, barotos, bancas, bilus, pancos, falas, paraos, and lancanes. For fishing they make use of the harpoon, arrows, bolos, corrals, and nets. For the same object they also use the bark of the tree called tuble and the fruits of the tuba-tuba, and lagtan. [133] There trade is, as a rule, reduced to the articles of prime necessity in food, drink, clothing, and work utensils. Among the old Christians of Mindanao, tulisanes by profession are not known, and if there are any in the south, they are deported.

The new Christians, from 1876 to the present time, reach some 25,000. In their general characteristics and customs, they are not distinguished from the races to which they owe their origin. Nevertheless, after they receive holy baptism, and while they live as Christians under the civil and religious organization to which they are subjected by the father missionaries, a very marked difference is noted, for by the habit of subjection to law which they acquire by means of the mild means of Christian education which the missionary who has been able to merit their confidence, strikes, the change of their customs is facilitated in a remarkable manner, and in a short time the moral condition of their families and individuals is changed. I mean [that the above is true] when they persevere [in the Christian life] for in regard to this, there are some tribes who are more fickle than others. Thus for example, the converted Mandaya is much less inconstant than the Man.o.bo, for the importance of being subject to a beginning of authority is more impressed on his mind.

The heathen to the number of about 300,000, are divided into different nations or families of three races properly so called: the Malay, the Indonesian, and the Negrito. They have many crosses with other superior races, as the Chinese, j.a.panese, and even according to some, the European. [134]

The Mamanuas (man-banua, "inhabitant of the country") are the true indigenous aborigines of the country. [135] Their color is dark, and their hair is oily, woolly, and curly. They are nomadic and go naked. They pa.s.s the night where it overtakes them, taking shelter under an improvised hut of palsan [136] or of any tree branch. Their food is the fruit and the roots of the forest and the flesh of deer, boars, monkeys, snakes, and reptiles. Their weapons are the bow and arrow, spear, and knife. They have an idea of G.o.d and of a worship, as well as some maxims of natural law. They are timid, and miserable creatures, moved by necessity, and loving of ease. They inhabit the small peninsula of Surigao and extend to Tago through the mountains. Their chiefs generally contract marriage with the Man.o.bo women. This race is almost extinct in consequence of the privations incident to their wandering life. Four small villages of Mamanuas exist in the parish of Mainit and another in that of Gigquit. The total number of this tribe does not exceed two or three thousand. Those baptized number about five hundred. In the map they occupy color number 2.

The Man.o.bos or Manuba (man-sub, [137] "river dweller") as is indicated by their name itself live near the rivers. They inhabit the valley of the Agsan, which extends from Butan to Oloagsan. They live besides on the point of San Agustin on the southern sh.o.r.e of the bay of Mallag, and in the district of Cottabato, as may be seen in the ethnographical map, accompanying these letters, color no. 3.

This tribe is numerous, wild, fickle, easy to reduce, [138]

somewhat difficult to preserve, and suspicious and treacherous in their attacks. They build their houses near the rivers and often in the forks of trees. Their religion is very like that of the Mandayas. They annually change their abode in order to make new fields, being compelled to do so because of the gra.s.s and briars which spring up. As they have no means for the deep working of the soil, consequently permanent possession has no charm for them. They abandon their houses as soon as anyone dies in them, and if the deceased is an outsider, they demand the worth of the abandoned house from his relatives. Their system of life is the patriarchal, under the protection of their respective bagani. The Man.o.bo, according to Dr. Montano, [139] presents two extreme types: one athletic, and of much slighter build than the other. Those two types combined in the majority of the individuals const.i.tute another medium type whose characters are more plainly marked in the Man.o.bos of Dvao, than in those of the Agsan. Their clothing, weapons, and ornaments closely resemble those of the Mandayas, with the exception of the strings of gla.s.s beads, which are black rather than red among the Man.o.bos. Tattooing is practiced among the Man.o.bos, and is done by means of a needle and powdered charcoal. The number of the Man.o.bos in the valley of Agsan is about 20,000, half of whom are now reduced. The number of those of the district of Dvao and Cottabato is unknown.

The Mandayas (man-daya, "people of the upland"--ilaya) is a tribe extending from Tago to Mati, and from Ganda to the source of the Agsan, and in the district below the Slug, as may be seen at color no. 34, of the adjoined ethnographical map. The manners and customs of the Mandayas are described in a letter written by Father Hras, June 8, 1878. The Mandayas number about 30,000 of whom 8,000 are already reduced and baptized.

The Manguangas [140] (man-gulangas, "people of the woods") live on the upper part of the Slug. They are warlike and have continual quarrels with the Man.o.bos and Mandayas of the Agsan, the Moros of the Hijo, and the Ats. They are easy to reduce. In the map, they occupy the place corresponding to color no. 5.

The Monteses (Buquid-non) [141] of the second district of Mindanao are divided into two groups: those adjacent to the Man.o.bos of the Agsan between Gingog and Naspit, who approach to the habits, and the social and religious life of the latter; and those who people the mountains and valleys of the Tagalan River. Comprehended in the parish of Balingasag, there are several reductions of them. Their number is about 4,000. They are shown in the map at color no. 6.

The Ats (from itaas, ataas, ats, "those who live on the heights") are the indigenous natives who generally live about the western districts of Mount Apo. [142] They are warlike and fight against the Moros and the Bagobos. The Ats extend to the northwest of Dvao, and in their ramifications finally reach to the borders of the Bagobos, Guiangas, Mandayas, and even to the Subanos and the Monteses of Cagayan and Maguindnao. The number of this tribe is unknown, even approximately, but it is conjectured with foundation that it must be very numerous. In the map they occupy the place corresponding to color no. 7.

The Guiangas [143] (guanga, gulanga "inhabitant of the woods") live, according to Father Gisbert, scattered between the rivers and rancheras of Dulan, Guimlan, Tamgan, Ceril, and Biao near Dvao, and they number about 6,400. Their dialect is entirely different from those of the others, and they show sufficient intelligence, but they are very barbarous, and human sacrifices are still held among them. In the map they occupy color no. 8.

The Bagobos [144] inhabit the eastern slopes of the Apo. They are of moderate stature, and well built, for the deformed children are smothered at birth. They are fond of work. They perform human sacrifices in order to placate Darag (Da-dag, Du-dug, Mu-dug, "he who sheds blood," or "the shedder of blood") or Mandarangan. They believe in two beginnings, are difficult to reduce, and easy to keep after reduction. They are warlike and cruel, excellent hors.e.m.e.n, and daring fishermen. They dress luxuriantly, and at times wear shirts which cost them two or three slaves. They drink ntus (the sap of the fermented sugar-cane) and offer it when they make visits to all those in the a.s.sembly beginning with the most worthy. The number of the Bagobos, according to Father Gisbert, is about 12,000, of whom 800 have been reduced and baptized. In the map they are found at color no. 9.

The Calganes [145] are not Moros. Their captain and all his family have been baptized, and, in consequence of that, a new reduction has been formed from the individuals of this tribe in Dgos, between Papi and Santa Cruz. They are fine fellows and very tractable. In the map they occupy the color corresponding to no. 10.

The Tagacaolos [146] (taga-ca-olo, "inhabitant of the head," or "source of rivers") are as capable as the Bagobos, without being as cruel and superst.i.tious as they. In their contests they are generally very valiant especially those who are widowed; for to become a murderer is a good recommendation for the contraction of second nuptials. The Tagacaolos are of good figure and of a somewhat clearer complexion than those of the other tribes with the exception of the Mandayas. The Tagacaolos occupy the mountains of Haguimtan in the small peninsula or the cape of San Agustin. Between Mallag, Malita, and Lais, are found 7,000 and about 2,000 in the peninsula of San Agustin. There is a small village of this tribe in Mallag of those newly reduced, which has already 186 Christians. The Loac are wild Tagacaolos still more degraded than the Mamanuas who live on the heights of Haguimtan. In the map they will be found at color no. 11.

The Dulanganes (Gulanganes) called also Bangal-bangal, like the Manguangas, are people of the woods, and live in the mountains, about fifteen leguas from the Rio Grande, toward the southern coast. They are savage and fierce, and the Moros themselves who do not dare to meddle with them call them a bad race. It could be that the so cried-up ferocity of the Dulanganes bugaboo was invented by the Moros for their own ends, according to a note in one of the letters of Father Mor. Their number is unknown. They go completely naked, and for the most indispensable covering they use a kind of small ap.r.o.n made of bark or the leaves of trees. Their food is the same as that of the Mamanuas. They do not have houses either, and live in caves or inside the trunks of trees, or like the Mamanuas. Their weapons are usually arrows poisoned as I have heard with the curare. Is this perchance the same curare that is discussed by Father Gumilla in his Orinoco il.u.s.trado? [147] They will be found at color no. 12 in the map.

The Tedurayes or Tirurayes [148] live on the slopes at the left of the lower Pulangui. They number from 8,000 to 10,000 at the most. They occupy on the map the place corresponding to color no. 13. They are amiable, friendly to the Spaniards, but oppressed by the Moros. Their fear of molestation from the Moros together with their nomadic tendencies, due to the lack of carabaos and farm implements, make their complete reduction difficult at present. Their system of government is patriarchal, and the chief of the tribe is called bandarra. They pay their tributes to the Moro datos as an annual rent for the lands which they cultivate. The women adorn their hands and legs in an insupportable manner, with huge bra.s.s rings; and they pierce their ears in which they place pendants more than one centimeter in diameter. The men allow their hair to grow like the heathens of other tribes, but do not tie it up like those tribes. Their weapons and industry show the influence that they have received from the Moros. They gird the body with belts interwoven from bra.s.s wire a decimeter or so in width. Their religion is a shapeless aggregation of superst.i.tious ideas. It is not accurate to say that the Tirurayes have so low an idea of their self respect that they believe themselves to be honored in prost.i.tuting their wives and daughters with the Spaniards. Given the supposition of some isolated deed which might seem to prove the abovesaid, a general rule could not be deduced therefrom against the integrity of the customs of the Tirurayes in this matter, against which the nature itself, not only of man but also of the brute animals themselves, cries out with a loud voice.