2376 LEAFLETS OF PHILIPPINE BoTANY | [Vor. VII, Art. 112 
y 
them orders that they must supply me with one or two 
laborers—I to provide them with food and pay them weekly 
wages. Their services, however, were most exasperating. 
Nearly every morning I had to rout them out of their sleep 
for breakfast, or perhaps they had already slipped out into the 
woods in hiding. I had to take them by weekly relays, 
for even the best ones could or would not stand the work longer. 
In September they all quit working for me. The weather 
was most beautiful. All the Manobos were relatively quiet 
and seemed in a reverential state of mind. In the evenings I 
heard the priest pray, and then they informed me that they were 
going to have a feast or fiesta. After a few days, the 
family of the priest vacated his house and he was praying 
at intervals during the day time as well, both in the house , 
and upon small alters which he had built in the woods near- 
by. On the fifth day nearly all the Manobos congregated 
into a third house and were practically mute, except the 
priest who at this time transferred his functions from his 
residence to the festive house, and was praying louder and 
more incessantly. The following day an alter was built 
in front of this house with some palm leaf decoration over 
it. The priest continued his frantie and weird performances 
that made my hair stand on end. The next morning a hog 
was carefully tied on its side on the pole platform under 
the palm leaves. Then the priest came out of the house and 
danced with his polished spear in. a most fantastic style * 
about this animal offering and called upon the Gods with. 
all his voice. He was in a dead sweat and was followed by 
two or three younger Manobos carrying spears. Finally 
he stopped and placel his spear point upon the heart 
side of the animal for an aim, raised it, and plunged it 
into the hog. Then I saw the most revulsive act of the 
ceremony. As soon as he extracted his spear he planked 
his mouth upon the blood gushing wound of the hog, and 
it seemed to me that he was gorging himself with the 
animal's warm blood. When he let go, his face and neck 
was blood stained and trickling with it, and he at once 
entered the house. The boys also stuck their spears into the 
animal but did not put their faces upon the wounds. The dead 
hog was then removed to the rear of the house where it was 
