The Inhabitants of the Philippines Part 53

THE TRIBES OF MINDANAO--CONTINUED.

Calaganes (10).

A small tribe living on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Apo, about the head-waters of the River Digos, which runs into the Gulf of Davao, a little north of the Ensenada de Casilaran.

They are reported to be of good stature, and of a dark colour, to understand the language of the Vilanes, but to speak their own tongue, which is similar to the Man.o.bo. They are industrious cultivators of the soil, and store provisions for their use, never suffering from famine, but rather a.s.sisting others less careful. Their country is very broken, consisting of deep valleys, divided from each other by lofty crests. These valleys are full of people, so that the tribe must be numerous.

Father Urios visited them in January of 1894, and was well treated. The reducciones of Aviles and Melitta have been recently formed amongst them, and their conversion was proceeding till the war began. Their territory forms part of the parish and missions of Davao.

Tagacaolos (11).

The Tagacaolos live in the district of Davao, on the west coast of the gulf from Malalao as far south as Lais. There are also some living on the peninsula of San Agustin, between Cuabo and Macambol. Physically, they are inferior to the neighbouring tribes, not so much in stature as in muscular development. They are timid, and those who are still heathen select places for their hamlets that cannot easily be surprised, such as rocks, or crags without forest round them, although this obliges them to carry water from a great distance.

A considerable number of them have been converted, and settled in hamlets near the coast, but the ma.s.s of them are still heathen.

Their faces are long, the nose thin, and the extremity of it slightly curved.

They are the victims of the Bagobos and Guiangas, who attack them for the purpose of carrying them off into slavery. They themselves prey on the Vilanes, who are less capable of defence, and make slaves of them. They also fight amongst themselves. They make human sacrifices to their G.o.d Mandarangan, who lives in the crater of the Apo volcano, to avert his wrath, and when any noise is heard from the volcano, they consider that he is demanding a victim.

In 1896, more than 300 Tagacaolos had been baptized, and were living in a civilised manner in the town of Malalag, now called Las Mercedes. The conversion of this tribe was being actively carried on by the a.s.sistants of the veteran missionary, Father Urios, who resided in Davao until the Spanish-American war. Las Mercedes was improving, and promised to become a town of some importance.

A detachment of infantry was stationed there.

The influence of the missionaries extended beyond the reducciones, and had some effect amongst the heathen in discouraging human sacrifices and tribal wars. It may be expected that, before long, these dreadful rites will be put an end to, if the missionaries are enabled to return.

Dulanganes (12).

The Dulanganes hold a territory about twenty miles square to the south of the Tirurayes, which extends from the crests of the mountains to the coast. On the east they have the Vilanes. I have not been able to learn anything whatever about this people, nor, so far as I know, are there any reducciones in their territory.

Tirurayes (13).

The Tirurayes occupy the hills to the south of the delta of the Rio Grande, the coast being occupied by Moros.

They are reported to be of low type, physically, and to hold the chast.i.ty of their wives and daughters as of no account.

The proximity of the Moros probably accounts for this looseness of morals. The missionaries have been working amongst them for years, and in 1891 they had baptized 109. However, the converts were not settled in towns, but wandered about the hills as they liked. Since then, more of them have been baptized, and were settled in Tamontaca, and several reducciones have been founded in their territory. In Tamontaca, during 1896, between heathen and Moros, there were 152 conversions and baptisms during the year, besides 197 baptisms of infants born of Christian parents. The Tagacaolos used to apply to the missionaries for everything they required--medicine for the sick, Spanish red wine for women after child-birth, or boards to make coffins. So the missionaries not only had to bury them for nothing, but had to find them the coffin into the bargain.

On the other hand, the Tirurayes declined to cut timber for the chapels at their reducciones, or to haul it to place, or to do any kind of work unless paid for it. Their zeal does not lead them to do anything for the Church as a free offering. They find it very hard to break themselves of their nomadic customs, and are particularly apt to remontar. However, they treated the missionaries with great respect, and these could go anywhere amongst them without danger.

Since the war, the missionaries have abandoned Tamontaca, and the whole neighbourhood is in disorder.

Tagabelies (14).

The Tagabelies inhabit the hilly country between Lake Buluan and the Gulf of Sarangani, to the west of the volcanoes Magolo and Maluturin. They are reported to be very ferocious, and have not been visited by the missionaries.

Samales (15).

These people inhabit the islands of Samal and Talicud, in the Gulf of Davao, and are not to be confounded with the Moros Samales of Tawi-tawi and Jolo.

The Samales surpa.s.s both the Moros and Nisayas in muscular development and stature.

Their feet and hands are large; they have high and projecting cheek-bones, and a stiff beard standing out round the face gives it, according to Montano, something of a cat-like appearance. Both s.e.xes dress like the Moros.

They are less ferocious than their neighbours, and do not, like them, go about armed.

They do not commit any aggressions, and are industrious. In character, they are superior to the Moros, and are not like them--cunning and deceitful.

They have been on good terms with the Spaniards for a long time, but until quite lately they were very obstinate, and could not be persuaded to be baptized.

They cultivate the usual crops, fish, and make salt. The women weave dagmays.

They used to have slaves, whom they purchased from the Moros or Man.o.bos, and treated them well.

Formerly, they enclosed their dead in wooden coffins, made in two parts, the shallower part serving as a lid. Each piece was hollowed out of a solid log. They placed the coffins on a rude platform in a cave or niche in the rocks, or else built a thatched roof over it to keep off the rain.

They placed near the coffin buyo and bonga for chewing, and vases containing rice and maize. Each year after the harvest they went to visit the dead, and renewed the offerings.

Little is known of their former religion, but they wors.h.i.+pped the serpent, and believed in the immortality of the soul, and in a place of punishment by fire, which they called Quilut.

The patience and zeal of the missionaries has, however, been richly rewarded, and in June, 1894, a number of Samales were baptized, including most of their dattos. By the autumn of that year there was not a heathen left in the islands, and the Samales are now settled in seven villages--San Jose, San Ramon, Alcira, Tarifa, Carmona, Cervera, and Pena Plata. This last was the residence of the missionary, who was accompanied by a lay brother. The population at the beginning of 1897 was 1625.

Vilanes (16).

These people, the prey of every warlike tribe, and even of the Tagacaolos, live on the summit of the mountains of Buhian, to the east and west of the lake of that name.

Some of them extend as far south as the eastern sh.o.r.e of the Gulf of Sarangani, and they people the two islands of Sarangani and Balut.

They are short and thickset, with little agility.

Montano describes them as having flat, broad noses, underhung jaws, and receding foreheads, giving them an appearance of stupidity.

Father Urios, however, writing about the Vilanes of Sarangani and Balut, gives a more favourable description of them. He says they are docile and industrious, and more active and intelligent than the Moros Sanguiles, who live on these same islands.

He thought them easy to convert, for they have no religious system of their own; but they believe in G.o.d, and in the immortality of the soul.