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CHAPTER XIV.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES.

Divisions of the Native Tribes-The Negritos or Aboriginals of the Philippines— History of the Moro Invasion of the Philippines-Their Wars with the Spanish Conquerors-Bravery and, Ferocity of the Moros-Organization of Their Government-Weapons of the Moros-Characteristics and Dress of the Men and Women-Their Skill as Boatmen and Pearl Divers-Their Antipathy to Christians "Running Amuck"-Religious Beliefs of the Moros-The Pagan MalaysThe Partially Civilized and Christianized Filipinos-The Tagalogs, Ilocanos and Visayans-Hospitality and Generosity of the Natives-Universal Cleanliness-Happy Family Life-Their Good Qualities and Their Bad Ones.

O one knows with any measure of accuracy, the total population of the Philippine islands. Census returns, even where the Spanish have been most entirely in control, are notoriously careless and unreliable, while there are scores of islands and many distinct tribes which are virtually unknown to explorers and unimpressed by any mark of civilization. The usual estimate of the population, however, is from eight to ten millions for the entire archipelago. This number is divided between at least eighty distinct tribes, which in a broad classification may be grouped as Negritos, Mohammedan Malays, Pagan Malays and civilized Malays.

The original population of the Philippines was the tribe known as Negritos. These aboriginals are at the bottom of the scale in mentality and in physique, little black fellows, who are rapidly disappearing and seem destined to speedy extinction. The best judges of island character declare them to be incapable of civilization, a fact which lessens the regret that they are vanishing. The largest number of them remaining are in the islands of Mindanao and Negros, where they people the splendid forests clothing the mountain slopes. There are also a few of the Negritos left in Mariveles mountain, near the mouth of Manila bay on the island of Luzon, while in the vicinity of Cape Engano, at the northeastern extremity of the same island, they are still quite

numerous.

NEGRITOS OR ABORIGINALS OF THE ISLANDS.

Even at the time of the Spanish conquest the Negritos were becoming decimated by their conflict with the Malay invaders. Now they have become a wretched, sickly race of almost dwarfish stature. Although not of the African type, their hair is curly, their skins black and their features coarse and repulsive. Agriculture is little practiced by them, but they depend for food upon the products of the forest and upon the game which falls before their poisoned arrows.

The Moros, or Mohammedan Malays, are chiefly confined to the islands of Mindanao, Palawan, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi Tawi and Mindoro, The Moros have played a very important part in the history of the Philippines. They were a people of Borneo, who arrived in the archipelago just at the time of the Spanish discoverer. Landing first in Basilan, they spread rapidly over the small islands of the Sulu and Tawi Tawi groups, eventually occupying the whole coast of Mindanao, the southern third of Palawan and the small islands adjacent. Before they had completely overrun Palawan, they were interrupted by the Spanish troops in their own conquest and since then they have not been able to advance their settlements.

How Warfare Was Begun.

The first encounter between the Spaniards and the Moros resulted from an unprovoked attack made by the European traders upon one of the Moro chiefs of Mindanao. The result was disastrous to the aggressors, who were almost annihilated. The fierce Moslem warriors returned the attack with all the stimulus of their fanatical passions. They raided the Spanish and native coast towns of the central and northern islands with annual piratical expeditions, meeting with great success and taking thousands of captives and rich treasure. For more than 250 years these forays continued, while in every village watchtower in the northern islands there was constant vigilance by the sentries who watched for the approach of the Moro fleets. The success of the raiders was continued. Not only were natives enslaved by thousands, but Spanish planters, government officials and priests were killed or held for ransom.

The history of the Philippine islands is largely the history of the

WARS BETWEEN
MOROS AND

SPANISH.

wars between Spanish and Moro forces. Of course, the Spaniards could not submit tamely to such an intolerable state of affairs. Expedition after expedition was sent against the Mohammedan forces, and with great expense of money and life a few temporary successes were gained. Garrisons were established even in Sulu, only to be massacred or driven from the islands. Finally, with the improvement in fire-arms accessible to the Spanish forces, and the construction of light-draft steam gunboats and rapid-fire guns, the Spaniards gained an advantage which could not be overcome and piracy was reduced to a minimum. Gunboats patrolled the islands in every channel. No Moro craft was permitted at sea except with a written permit from the nearest Spanish governor. Any prau violating this order was either rammed and sunk by any gunboat meeting it or swept by the fire of the machine-guns, no quarter ever being given. Then village after village was destroyed by shells from the gunboats, even the town of Sulu, which had been the residence of the Moro sultans, suffering destruction in 1876. A Spanish military post was established in its place, and in spite of frequent warfare Spanish occupation has been virtually continuous since that time. Other Moro strongholds in the different islands were taken and fortified, the coast villages burned, and the inhabitants driven to the hills, until finally by tacit agreement a sort of armed truce began, which, with frequent interruption, has continued until the present time.

Our Most Dangerous Subject.

The sultan of Sulu is the ruler of all the Moros in the Philippines, although his authority is not very well established in Mindanao, where there are two subordinate sultans. Under the sultan of Sulu, the authority is delegated to a regent, who acts during his absence; a minister of war and a minister of justice, with a local chief in each district and a mandarin in each village. The higher authorities in the church are the cherifs, hereditary officers who have certain authority in temporal as well as spiritual affairs. Under them are panditas or priests, who look after the immediate spiritual welfare of the people. The Mohammedanism of the Moros is hardly as well defined or carefully practiced as that of the Mohammedan countries of Asia. Their mosques

are built of bamboo. Their language, which is written in Arabic characters, is based on Sanskrit roots.

WEAPONS
OF THE

SAVAGE MOROS.

The Moros do not fail to justify the reputation given them that they are among the most ferocious and daring people of the earth and among the most difficult to control. All the males above sixteen years of age go armed, except those in settlements sufficiently under Spanish dominion that this practice may be prevented. Their weapons are of excellent steel, beautifully finished and admirably adapted for the violent use for which they are intended. The barong, the campilan and the kris are those most favored. The first is somewhat after the fashion of a butcher's cleaver, with thick back and thin edge. The strong and skillful warrior prides himself on being able to cut an opponent in half if he can get a chance for a fair blow. The campilan is a straight-edged, two-handed sword, with a blade wide at the tip and steadily narrowing towards the hilt; it is used only for cutting, for which it is thoroughly effectual. The straight kris is a narrow-bladed, bevel-edged sword used for cutting and thrusting. The serpent kris, with its wavy, double-edged blade is used for thrusting and inflicts a horrible wound.

The men are of medium height and superb muscular development. They dress in pantaloons, waistcoat, jacket, sash and turban, all gaudily colored and showily embroidered. Their pantaloons are usually skin-tight below the knee and loose above. The rank of a Moro is indicated by the way he ties his turban. Under all circumstances a Moro carries barong, kris or campilan thrust into his sash. If he expects serious trouble, he has in addition a shield of light wood and a lance with a broad, keen head. His conveniences for working steel are of the simplest, but the blades which he produces are highly tempered and often beautifully finished. He sometimes works silver in with the

DRESS OF MORO MEN AND WOMEN.

steel or even inlays it with gold. The hilts of his sidearms are of hard, polished wood or ivory and are sometimes handsomely carved. He is crazy to get hold of fire-arms, but seldom succeeds, and at any rate

is usually a very bad marksman.

Moro women are exceedingly fond of bright colors, scarlet and green being their favorites. Their garments are a skin-tight waist, a

baggy divided-skirt, and a novel garment called the jabul, made by sewing together the two ends of a long piece of cloth. This is draped about the body in various ways and may be thrown over the head to keep off the sun. Moro children usually possess clothes, like those of their elders, but they make very little use of them.

The men are very skillful boatmen and sailors. The boat which they use, the prau, is of the type familiar among all the islands of the south Pacific, a frail-looking affair, skillfully carved out of a log, with outriggers which prevent the boat from sinking even when filled with water and guarantee its stability. They are swimmers of marvelous skill and their performances in diving for pearls are almost incredible. Other than that, however, the men consider it beneath their dignity to engage in manual labor.

The Moro is a born warrior and chafes under restraint. He disdains to work and expects his wants to be supplied by his wives and slaves. He gives much time to the care of his arms and to perfecting himself in their use. He tries to terrify an opponent by making hideous. faces, uses his shield very skillfully, and in battle is the bravest of the brave. Inhuman cruelty, however, is one of his characteristics, and he will cut down a slave merely to try the edge of a new barong.

"RUNNING AMUCK" TO KILL CHRISTIANS.

One unpleasant phase of life among the Moros has been the system by which the orthodox native proves the merit of his religion. The Moros believe that one who takes the life of a Christian thereby increases his chance of happiness in the future life. The more Christians killed, the brighter the prospect for the Moro, and if he is only fortunate enough to be himself killed while slaughtering the enemies of the faithful, he is at once transported to the seventh heaven. From time to time it happens that one of them wearies of this life, and, desiring to take the shortest road to glory, he bathes in a sacred spring, shaves off his eyebrows, dresses in white and presents himself before a pandita to take solemn oath to die killing Christians. He then hides a kris or barong about his person and seeks the nearest town. If he can gain admission, he snatches his weapon from its concealment and runs amuck, slaying every living being in his path, until he is finally himself dispatched. The number of lives taken by one of these mad fanatics

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