The Inhabitants of the Philippines Part 52

Father Barrado, who was a missionary amongst them, remarked on the repugnance these people have to pa.s.s through the territory of some other datto, and Dr. Montano, who crossed Mindanao from Davao to Butuan, confirms this very fully as regards Mandayas and Man.o.bos. In order that they may do this in safety, the princ.i.p.al dattos have a large and highly-ornamented lance called a quiap. In return for a small fee they lend this to any of their Sacopes who desire to pa.s.s through another datto's territory as a pa.s.sport, or safe conduct. When carrying this lance, far from being molested, travellers are treated with consideration and deference, even in time of war.

The princ.i.p.al dattos show their grandeur by having enormous jars, in which they preserve their heir-looms or rare and curious objects, or use for holding provisions. Gongs also are much esteemed amongst them. But their most precious possessions are certain wooden-boxes or trunks with copper coins nailed all over them in patterns, in which they keep their clothes and arms. In this they resemble the rajahs and sultans of the Malays. They use swords and lances, bolos, and sometimes the Malay kris with inscriptions and marks in Arabic, these last are got from the Moros. Some of their arms are beautifully made with carved handles of hard wood, and inlaid with silver, having sheaths of polished wood. Some of them have coats of mail, made of bra.s.s plates and wires, ornamented with silver. These appear to be of great antiquity, and it is not known where they came from originally. Others have quilted jackets such as Cortes found amongst the Mexicans. Notwithstanding their amiable characteristics, they make forays like the Man.o.bos, and attack other tribes, killing the adults, and carrying off the children as slaves and the girls as concubines.

They use the pneumatic tinder-box like the Igorrotes. They are fond of smoking, and raise large crops of excellent tobacco, selling their surplus in Cagayan de Misamis. They prefer to smoke their tobacco in pipes, which they make themselves. They also chew buyo. On their voyages they carry pouches to contain their belongings, and a curious crescent-shaped box made of bra.s.s plate, which they tie on in front.

Although able to make long journeys on foot, they usually ride, and are excellent hors.e.m.e.n, riding up and down the steepest paths. Their horses are adorned with one or two necklaces of sleigh-bells, so that they can be heard approaching from a distance.

They have no calendar, but know from the appearance of certain constellations in the heavens, to which they give names of their own, that the rainy season is approaching, and they then set to work busily to prepare their land for sowing or planting.

They use the plough, and make extensive plantations of maize, which is their princ.i.p.al article of food, and also of rice, they sell the surplus to the inhabitants of the coast towns, for articles they require, especially salt. They make small stone hand-mills for grinding maize, and what is much more curious, they have invented and manufactured cotton gins, having two wooden rollers geared together, worked by a crank on the upper one. These gins work with great regularity.

In 1889 they were much interested in planting and preparing Abaca, and Gingoog, one of their outlets, exported no less than 11,000 piculs, or the equivalent of 5500 bales in twelve months. They also take down to the coast-towns quant.i.ties of wax and resin. Their labour ought to make them wealthy, but here again we find the rascally Chinaman, who, intoxicating them with some vile spirits, deceives them in the price, cheats them in the weight, and sends them back sick and ill from their unaccustomed libations, with some wretched rubbish in exchange for their valuable produce. By this means their industry is checked, and those who take down goods return in worse plight than they went. Any decent Government would prohibit the demoralisation of this interesting people, but the Chinaman well understands how to deal with the local Spanish authorities, and even subscribes largely to the church, for he likes to have two strings to his bow.

The musical instruments of the Monteses are clarinets, flutes, guitars of three strings, and a small drum.

At the time of the harvest, from the first peep of day to sunrise, before beginning to work, they sing or chant certain songs, the men and women taking alternate verses.

They have courts of justice to punish robbery and other offences. Their laws are traditional, pa.s.sing from father to son, and occasionally altered at the discretion of the princ.i.p.al datto, to whom they appeal if they have been gravely offended. The princ.i.p.al datto having taken his seat, his head is bound round with the pinditon, or head-cloth, with three points, and he takes the quiap (already mentioned) in his hand. He then invites two inferior dattos, who take seats one on each side of him. The prisoner is then led forward by a guard, who sticks their lances in the earth near the seats of the tribunal. The case is argued on both sides, the court deliberates and gives judgment and sentence, which is executed upon the spot, fine, corporal-punishment, or death. This is quite an ideal criminal court, and worthy of all respect.

Amongst them it is considered as a want of education and good manners to mention their own names, and if a stranger asks, "What is your name?" the person interrogated does not answer, but some one else replies, "His name is so-and-so." This actually happened to me amongst the Tagbanuas of Paragua, when I visited them. (See Tagbanuas.)

They believe in omens, and have many curious customs, too long to relate, but I shall mention one.

If a stranger enters a house to visit those who inhabit it, and during the conversation a fowl should fly and pa.s.s before him, the people of the house instantly kill it, and cooking it as quickly as possible, they eat it in company with the visitor to allay his fright, and cause his soul to return to his body, for it might have left him when he was startled.

The houses in their villages are large and well-built, sometimes the walls are of thick planks of hard wood tied together with rattan, for they use no nails. The houses in the country are smaller, and low in the roof, but always so high from the ground that the longest lance will not reach the floor.

Great respect is shown to the dead. They are usually buried in their fields with lance, sword, and bolo laid beside them. They make a mound of earth over the grave, fixing several stakes like St Andrew's crosses, and protecting the whole with the bark of a tree fastened over the stakes. From a high post hangs a bag of rice, that the soul of the defunct may sustain itself on the long journey to Mount Bolotucan, the highest peak of the whole region. The soul having arrived on this peak, gives one great jump, and reaches heaven, at a higher or lower level, according to the greater or lesser probity of its life on earth. Wherever it lands, there it remains to all eternity. The relations make great lamentations at the death, and loose their hair which they do not roll up for a greater or lesser period, according to the love they bore the dead.

It is pleasing to be able again to state that the bravery, the wisdom, and the faith and charity of the Jesuits exercised amongst this race has had a rich reward. During the four years which concluded in 1889, no less than 6600 heathen Monteses renounced their superst.i.tions, their polygamy, and their slave-hunting murdering raids, and, accepting the doctrines of our Saviour, were baptized into the Christian faith. Besides the older coast towns, mostly occupied by Visayas, twenty-four Christian villages extend from the Bay of Macajalar far into the Montese country, now giving the hand to the military garrisons on the Rio Grande amongst those irreclaimable pirates the Moros.

The Cross was triumphing over the Crescent in Mindanao quite as much, nay, much more, by the voices of the missionaries as by the Spanish bayonets. It will be an outrage on Christianity, a blot on their renown, if through ignorance or folly, the United States should so act as to put a stop to this holy and civilising work, and so give occasion for some future author to write another "Century of Dishonour."

Atas or Ata-as (7).

These people occupy a considerable territory from the River Libaganon, which falls into the Gulf of Davao round the northern slopes of Mount Apo, about the head-waters of the rivers running into Lakes Liguan and Buluan. To the north they have the Tagavauas and the Man.o.bos; to the south the Vilanes, and on the east the Guiangas, Bagobos and Calaganes. The swampy country on the west separates them from the Moros of Lake Liguan. From the extent of their territory the Atas are probably very numerous.

They appear to be a hybrid Malayo-Negrito race, but have advanced considerably in social organisation. They go decently dressed, the men wearing short drawers and a s.h.i.+rt of Chinese pattern, and the women a patadion and an embroidered bodice--with strings of beads round the neck for ornament. They weave stuffs similar to those made by the neighbouring tribes. They are said to be of a determined character, and to stand up to the Moros in defence of their families and property.

They also attack other tribes and commit atrocious murders, not sparing women and children.

A missionary pa.s.sing near their territory on the River Libaganon in November 1892, found several households in great grief on account of unprovoked murders committed by the Atas.

As the Atas live remote from the sea-coast and have no navigable rivers running through their territory, the missionaries have not yet been able to make much impression on them, but they are working their way up the Davao River, and the reduction of Belen established in 1891 is quite on the borders of the Atas territory. Murders, slave-raids, and human sacrifices, are still the ordinary events of Atas life.

The ill.u.s.tration shows two determined-looking Atas warriors with spear and s.h.i.+eld, two women and two young girls, all carefully dressed and wearing their ornaments.

Guiangas (8).

The Guiangas live on the slopes of Mount Apo, to the North of the Bagobos, whom they much resemble in manners and customs. In view of the small territory they occupy, they cannot be numerous.

They have a rather effeminate air, the men wearing their hair long; but notwithstanding this, they are quite robust, of remarkable agility, and very adroit in the use of arms.

Montano gives the average height of the man as 5 feet 4 inches, and measured some up to 5 feet 7 inches. The men wear short drawers and huge ear ornaments. Their weapons are the bow and spear. They are organised on the same feudal system as the other tribes being governed by their dattos. Their houses, as usual, are built on high piles. They are tolerably industrious, and occasionally work for the Visayas on their plantations. They possess horses, cattle, and poultry, and make the usual plantations of rice, camote, and maize.

As regards their religion, Tighiama is the Creator, and Manama the governor of the world. Todlay, the G.o.d of love, is husband of the Virgin Todlibun, and the women celebrate certain rites in his honour.

Dewata is the protector of the house, and he is said to love blood. It is therefore inc.u.mbent on the head of every household to avenge any insult in the blood of the offender.

As amongst other tribes, the death of a datto, or of one of his wives, requires a human sacrifice in number proportionate to the rank of the defunct. The victims are usually taken from amongst the slaves of the datto, but in some cases they are purchased by public subscription. Being securely fastened to trees so that they cannot move, the largest subscriber inflicts a stab--politely avoiding giving a mortal wound, then the others follow in accordance with the importance of their subscription. The cries of the victim, thus gradually done to death, are drowned by the vociferations of his executioners. These sacrifices are still carried on in the remoter districts, but the missionaries are beginning to convert the Guiangas nearest the coast, and have established several reducciones in Guianga territory, such as Garellano, Oran, Guernica, Oyanguren. In the parish of Davao and its missions, there were at the end of 1896 nearly 12,000 Christians, and the missionaries were actively at work and were meeting with success. If they are re-established, and supported, in a few years' time human sacrifices will only be a dread tradition of the past.

The ill.u.s.tration shows a group of Guiangas, both men and women, the latter wearing many ornaments.

Bagobos (9).

This small tribe occupies the southern and eastern slopes of the Apo volcano, reaching down to the coast of the Bay of Davao, between the River Taumo on the north, and the River Digos on the south. They also have an outlying settlement at Piapi--now called Vera--on the Ensenada de Casilaran. The lower part of their territory is swampy, and the inhabitants of this district suffer from fever and ague, and present a sickly appearance. They resemble the Man.o.bos in disposition and in customs, and their weapons are the same. Their dress consists of short drawers and a jacket. The women wear a s.h.i.+rt and patadion. They are moderate in eating, and cleanly in their persons. Dr. Montano greatly praises the beauty of their country, especially about the banks of the Rio Matina.

The peculiarity of the Bagobos is that they are horse-Indians, everybody--men, women and children--rides in their country.

They breed these horses, which are small, but endowed with remarkable endurance, and their saddles, although rude, are scientifically constructed, like miniature McClellans. They ride with very short stirrups, and the men are always seen spear in hand when mounted. They carefully preserve by tradition the genealogy of their horses, and give their favourite animals a ration of 4 lbs. of paddy per day, as well as gra.s.s.

The basis of their food is rice and sweet potatoes, which they cultivate, using the buffalo and plough, and getting the manual labour done by their slaves.

They plant coffee, cacao, and bananas, but having a.s.sured their subsistence, they love to wander off into the woods to seek for jungle-produce, such as wax, honey, almaciga, and the coa.r.s.e cinnamon of the country, all of which finds a ready sale on the coast.

They are said to strictly perform all their engagements.

They cultivate abaca, and from the filament of this plant their women weave the tissues called dagmays, which they polish by rubbing them with sh.e.l.ls till they take a l.u.s.tre like silk. They dye these stuffs in a primitive manner, but with satisfactory results.

The men are tolerable smiths, and forge their weapons from old iron, which they obtain in barter. They make bits (for horses), and bracelets, and collars of bra.s.s. Amongst them gold is said to be dearer than in Paris, although the sands about Malalag, just south of their territory, yield gold.

The Jesuits have made many converts amongst them, and they were, till the Spanish-American war, under the spiritual care of the veteran missionary, Father Urios, and his a.s.sistants. In October, 1894, 400 Bagobos were baptized. I am unable to give the numbers of the Bagobos, even approximately, but, from the small territory they occupy, they cannot be numerous.

The ill.u.s.tration shows the celebrated Datto Manib, one of the princ.i.p.al baganis (head-murderers) of the Bagobos, of the Apo, accompanied by his lance-bearers, one of whom holds the quiap. Behind him are some of his wives and children, and other followers. But not even the hard heart of this blood-stained wretch could withstand the persuasion of the Jesuits, and in 1894 he was baptized, and commenced to build the town of Santillana for himself and followers.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII